Love and War
by Quatermass
Summary: (Apocrypha! Inspired by, but not an answer to, DZ2's 'Prodigal Son' challenge!) When his father came back from the dead, Harry learned he was a Homunculus decoy for the boy he was cloned from. Now, years later, alongside his mother, Harry Evans intends to take his revenge in the Great Holy Grail War...but will he die trying? Not if his foxy new Servant has anything to say about it!
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

I eagerly awaited the advent of _Fate/Apocrypha_ to video, given that I am not in possession of Netflix, and I actually created a number of challenges that I hoped to do. However, in the end, I couldn't get those ideas to work, at least for now.

Inspiration came from one source: DZ2's 'Prodigal Son' challenge, where Harry has been used as a decoy while the real Boy Who Lived was being trained by his parents. I decided to change elements of this, partly to fit a merged Potterverse and Nasuverse, but also because I wanted the elements of that challenge to be background material.

My original attempt, _Dum Vivimus, Vivamus_, was a good start, with Harry being paired with Eve (my personal name for Berserker of Black, aka Frankenstein's Monster), but I felt it badly lacked something. I decided to change some elements, like bringing Lily into the story, as well as changing Harry's pairing, from Eve to Tamamo-no-Mae. That, plus a few extra scenes, have brought this story back up to par, and I feel that it's ready to see the light of day.

The title was a fairly deliberate choice, and not just because of the phrase 'all's fair in love and war'. Readers of my works will know that I'm very much a Whovian, and one of the most famous _Doctor Who_ novels of all time was called _Love and War_. It was also easily one of the darkest, too, and I have to wonder whether Kinoku Nasu or Gen Urobuchi were taking notes from Paul Cornell.

Anyway, time for the usual disclaimers. Firstly, there will be spoilers for both Harry Potter and _Fate/Apocrypha_.

Secondly, there will be heavy annotations, as is usual for my works. You have been warned.

Thirdly, this is an M-Rated work. There will be coarse language, violence, and sexual references. Again, you have been warned.

Finally, the following is a fan-written work. Harry Potter and _Fate/Apocrypha_ are the properties of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, Tamamo will use the Polygamist Castration Fist on you…


	2. Chapter 1: Summoning

**CHAPTER 1:**

**SUMMONING**

Harry Evans looked at the gathered Magi. He was, admittedly, taking something of a risk doing this. He was, after all, going behind his superior's back while she dealt with Hyouma Sagara…but frankly, he was sick and tired of being sidelined on missions, or else being given babysitters. Yes, he understood why from an intellectual level: given his nature, there would be Magi and wizards drooling at a chance to vivisect him. But it also felt like coddling.

She was his mother after all, even if she had been absent for much of his life. That was part of what grated on him. Then again, at least she loved him, despite the fact that he was but a copy of her biological child, one who was currently holed up in Romania, along with her ex-husband. The man who had screwed over his life. Who'd left him with a mark when Harry refused to bow down after learning the truth. Subconsciously, he touched the burn scars marring much of the right hand side of his face.

That was the day he learned who his friends truly were, when most of Hogwarts turned on him, and lauded the true saviour. Sheep. Even Ron had turned on him, albeit out of anger for the trap that was the Department of Mysteries, and even then, it wasn't out of malice but stupidity. By the time Ron realised the truth about the matter, Harry wanted nothing to do with him. Or Neville. Hermione, Luna, Remus and Sirius…they didn't turn on him. They didn't discard him like the trash everyone else made him feel like when it was revealed he wasn't the Boy Who Lived, not even a natural born child of James and Lily Potter…just a Homunculus clone of the real one, Charles Potter. A copy. An imitation. A fake. Used to distract Voldemort while Charles got trained.

Lily, meanwhile, had been in a coma. The short version of what had been a very long story was that James had Homunculus copies of his family created to act as decoys while they went further into hiding. Lily didn't know about this until later, and had managed to purge herself of being dosed on Amortentia. She went to save the Homunculi, only to be tortured by Cruciatus into a coma by a confused Voldemort. She'd been kept in the Department of Mysteries ever since…until Harry stumbled across her during that mess.

Lily, after taking some time to recover, was Not Happy. After Voldemort was finally put paid to, she confronted her husband and child, along with Dumbledore, the latter dying of a curse put on one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. She made the good sense to make sure that she had the magical equivalent of a bug on her, broadcasting to everywhere she could. James and Dumbledore made the mistake of elucidating about their plans…and they were exposed. And the Potters disappeared…only to resurface recently in Romania, being the only wizards of note in the Magus clan known as Yggdmillennia.

Seven decades ago, Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia had joined the Third Holy Grail War (of the ones held in Fuyuki, before the Grail War spread across the world) as a Master. He'd actually collaborated with the Nazis, particularly with their occult branch known as the Thule Society, to wipe out the other Masters and steal the Greater Grail, taking it to Romania after betraying the Nazis. There were rumours about that for decades, but it was only confirmed recently. Now, Darnic and his clan, which was now made up of rogue Magi (for the most part), had made a declaration of secession from Clock Tower, and with the Greater Grail behind them, they certainly had the power to back that up.

The original Holy Grail War was a tournament of sorts. Seven Magi would summon Heroic Spirits to act as familiars. These familiars, once heroes from myth or history, were known as Servants, and they would fight to the end, until only one Master and Servant was left standing, and they would then grasp the Holy Grail, an artifact created by the von Einzbern family of Germany. It had a number of functions once fully charged. It could grant a wish to the Master and Servant left at the end of the Grail War, or it could, theoretically, access the Root, Akasha, the noosphere that lay at the centre of all, where all knowledge and power resided.

However, if what he heard was true, this Grail War, due to a mechanism built into the Grail to prevent collusion between the seven Masters, would be different: two teams of seven Masters and their respective Servants would be pitted against each other. Clock Tower's representatives would be the Red Faction, and Yggdmillennia the Black Faction.

After the war against Voldemort ended, and James and Charles fucked off to Romania, Lily brought Harry into not the Ministry of Magic, but rather, the Magus' Association. He'd trained and risen to become an Enforcer. He'd sweated and bled and wept under the tutelage of the likes of the infamous Kiritsugu Emiya, and the acerbic Executor Kirei Kotomine, who had come to Clock Tower on liaison from the Church. Hermione had become an assistant to Waver Velvet, a winner of one of the auxiliary Grail Wars who became Lord El-Melloi II, while Luna was Zelretch's assistant…well, enabler and sounding board.

And yet, his mother still thought he wasn't ready to do solo missions. In fact, they'd had the latest (and most loud) in a series of rows about that very subject shortly before she headed off to deal with Sagara. However, he happened to see an email from Waver about some Yggdmillennia goons coming to the city of Ise, to its famous Grand Shrine, possibly to steal some of the artifacts there, including the famous _Yata no Kagami_. That mirror was said to have belonged to Amaterasu herself, the Japanese sun goddess, and was one of the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan, the Imperial Regalia.

And yet, these bastards were going to steal it, and use it for their own ends.

He heard one intoning something as he drew out a ritual circle in the woods near the shrine. "_For the origin, silver and steel. For the cornerstone, gem and the Archduke of Contracts. For the ancestor, my great master Schweinorg. The colour I pay homage to is Black. The alighted wind becomes a wall. Close the gates in the four directions. From the crown, come forth. Trace the three-forked road leading to the kingdom. Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill. Repeat fivefold, and when each is filled, destroy it._"

Harry snarled quietly from where he was watching. A _Servant_. They intended to summon a damned _Servant_. And on the altar was the _Yata no Kagami_.

"Hey, is it really okay if we do this?" one of the Magi asked. "Don't they have two Servants summoned already?"

"Silence!" snapped one of them, a rotund man with blonde hair and a toothbrush moustache that made him look either like a belligerent, obese Charlie Chaplin, or else an obese Hitler. "Lord Darnic made a mistake in passing me over for that fool Potter and his brat! I intend to come back with a first-rate Servant. Besides, Tamamo-no-Mae can be manifested in multiple classes, including Caster and Berserker. And as our research have shown us that Tamamo-no-Mae was once an aspect of none other than Amaterasu, then this relic should do the trick."

Harry knew him from the files Clock Tower compiled on known members of Yggdmillennia. Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia, a half-decent alchemist specialising in Homunculi, and probably one of the better creators of Homunculi outside of the von Einzberns. However, he was also a pompous, egotistical sack of shit, who was basically an amalgamation of the worst qualities of James Potter, Snape, Vernon Dursley, and Lockhart, with an inferiority complex the size of a small planet.

As Gordes prepared to do the summoning, however, Harry had a notion cross his mind, and his expression became set in one of grim determination. He would force those fossils in Clock Tower, and his mother, to have him go to Romania. He was 24 now, he was an adult, not a kid, and he deserved to be able to make a decision on his own.

So, he held out his hand towards the ritual circle, remembering the words from something Waver showed him once, and hissing them under his breath. "_The colour I pay tribute to is Red. Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer my summoning! I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world, that I shall defeat all evil in the world! Seventh Heaven clad, and the great words of power, come forth from the circle of bindings, Guardian of the Scales!_"

Gordes and his lackeys only noticed something was going on when the circle began to glow. Just before the ritual ended, he saw Harry, despite Harry being hidden behind a thicket. Gordes' yell of anger was stillborn as the circle belched a column of crimson light into the sky. Harry knew he had succeeded when he felt the sting in his right hand.

"You…you interfering bastard!" Gordes roared. "But it will be for naught! This is **_my_** Servant! Servant! Kill that interloper!"

The voice from the still-clearing dust cloud was playful and vaguely sultry. "…Heavens me, this won't do at all. Anyway, you're not my husband, and I'm not sure I want you to be, Fatso."

Gordes wheeled on the Servant as they strode from the dust cloud. "What do you mean?! You are a Servant, a familiar, and I am the one who summoned you!" Then, he was staring when the Servant emerged.

It was a beautiful young woman with pink hair, dressed in a rather revealing deep blue kimono, strutting along like a model on the catwalk. But her eyes were golden, dancing with mischief. A pair of animal ears protruded from her head. And a big, bushy tail protruded from her rear. She looked nothing less than a fox in humanoid form, an impression helped by her smile.

She strutted up to Gordes, who was struck dumb by her beauty, before he was struck by her foot, right between his legs. As his eyes crossed, and an ultrasonic whine of pain emitted from his lips, she said, "_Ippu-tasai Kyosei-ken_. Or, the Polygamist Castration Fist, if you can't speak the local language."

"…That was a kick," one of the Yggdmillennia goons pointed out.

"Heavens me, we have someone _trying_ to be smart," the woman said, smiling as Gordes collapsed to the ground. "_Trying_ being the operative word. As in, you're trying my patience. Skedaddle, peons."

"No!" Harry yelled. "Servant…capture them, please."

The Servant looked at him as he stood, and smiled. "Ah, yes, much more to my liking, scars aside. Your wish is my command, Husband."

Husband?

What happened next was, well, spectacular. She danced around the minions, albeit only half a dozen (and amongst Yggdmillennia's less competent Magi, at least in terms of combat: Gordes must have been scraping the bottom of the barrel, and while they must have been competent enough to steal the famous mirror, fighting wasn't their strong suit…though it WAS a Servant they were facing), flinging the paper talismans favoured by Japanese mystics at them, causing them to become partially encased in ice. She made swift work of them, and then turned to Harry, bowing not in subservience, but as if to say, _How did I do?_

He was sure that the fact he got a grand view down her cleavage was wholly deliberate on her part.

She then snapped her fingers, and he noted that the Yggdmillennia Magi went to sleep. "So…let's get the formalities out of the way. Caster of Red has answered your summons. I ask of you…are you my Master?" Then, after a moment, she whispered, in a stage whisper, "_This is the part where you say __**yes**__, Husband._"

"And this is the part where I have to ask…_Husband?_" Harry asked, looking down at his hand, and noting the Command Seals there. He was trying hard to not let his gaze stray to her very beautiful body.

"Yes, and let me tell you, I'm glad it was you and not Fatso over there," she said with a pout, jabbing her thumb back over her shoulder at Gordes. "When I made my entrance, I could feel him undressing me with his eyes, and while I admittedly live for that sort of thing, he's not my type."

"He said he was trying to summon Tamamo-no-Mae…whoever that is. My knowledge of Japanese myths and legends is admittedly hazy," Harry admitted.

Her pout intensified. "Well, that won't do at all! I can't abide by many things, and ignorance, particularly about myself, is one of them! For I am, indeed, Tamamo-no-Mae, former consort to Emperor Toba. So, Husband, what do we do about the trash? I presume you wanted them captured instead of killed or on the run for a reason?"

"First of all, my name is Harry. I'd prefer that to Master…or Husband," Harry said. "Second, the Grail should give you information upon materialising, so you should know I'm an Enforcer from Clock Tower. I was trying to stop these idiots from stealing the _Yata no Kagami_. They used it as a catalyst to summon you, claiming you were an aspect of Amaterasu."

"Oh, I am. It's a long story. The _Yata no Kagami_, hmm? Well, we'd best put it back whence these fools pilfered it from. Ugh, the thought of Fatso's greasy fingers touching my sacred mirror gives me all kinds of bad vibes," she said with a shiver.

"Fatso, as you call him, is Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia," Harry said, muttering briefly under his breath, "Fuck that name(1)." Louder, he said, "Yggdmillennia is both a Magus clan and an organisation looking to secede from Clock Tower, using the Greater Grail."

"Oh, I got that bit down, thanks to the Grail. Darnic was naughty, stealing the Greater Grail, and in trying to rig the odds in his favour, ended up causing a Great Holy Grail War, with two teams of seven Servants. Now, it seems I am the Caster of Red. So, I presume you wanted these wastes of space kept alive for interrogation?"

"Yes. Thank you for listening, Caster. We'd better get the _Yata no Kagami_ back to where it's supposed to be." Suddenly, a trill of a ringtone came from his pocket, and he plucked out his mobile, groaning as he saw the number.

"What's the matter, Husband?" Tamamo asked.

"I'm in trouble. My mother must've found out about my little mission. And she's not happy…"

* * *

**OPENING**

**SONG: ****_I Want to Live_**** by John and Korey Cooper of Skillet (opening to ****_Fate/Apocrabridged_****)**

_As the opening chords begin, we travel through clouds, until we come to Trifas. As the rock chords start up, we go through the streets of Trifas, finding, walking along it, and lingering on each pair in turn, Kairi, Mordred, Lily, Jackie (dressed in normal clothes, as are the other Servants), Jeanne, the boy who, in canon, would be called Sieg, and finally, Harry and Tamamo. They then zoom out, showing the moonlit sky, with the title_.

In a grave of roses, while the night is closing in,

My soul is so cold, but I want to live again.

_We see Kairi and Mordred walking through a graveyard. In the polished obsidian of one of the newer, snazzier gravestones, we see, instead of Mordred and Kairi reflected, we see Arturia and a pensive Charles Potter reflected briefly. We then see Lily giving Jackie a piggy-back ride down a Romanian town's street, Jackie looking overjoyed, while Lily has a rueful smile on her face. As they pass by a shop window, we see Shirou Kotomine and Semiramis reflected briefly in their stead_.

I know you'll come to me, I wait in misery,

I want to fight for this, save me from this darkness,

I reach for the light…

_We see Harry looking into a mirror, seeing his younger self, so naïve…and behind him, the shadowy figure of James Potter, gripping his face, burning it, while behind James is the even shadowier figure of Heracles. A hand lands on Harry's shoulder, and he starts, only to find a concerned Tamamo looking at him. He turns to her, and they share a rueful smile. Then, we see Sieg reaching up towards a light…which vaguely looks like Avalon_.

I want to live my life!

The choice is mine, I've made up my mind

Now I'm free to start again!

_Tamamo and Mordred charge side by side at a couple of Servants of the Black Faction, with Mordred crossing swords with her father, warring emotions on both their faces, while Tamamo clashes with one of Avicebron's golems. Jackie rides on top of a car driven by Kairi and Lily as if it was the most metal pony in the world…and thankfully, she's not wearing the same outfit from canon. She leaps off it towards Astolfo, who blocks the attack with a comical look on his face_.

The way I want to live, (To live)

And breathe (And breathe)

The way I want that's right for me…

_Jeanne and the Homunculus canonically known as Sieg dodge Heracles' attacks, who himself is attacked by Atalanta and Achilles, only for them to have to dodge Vlad III's Kazikli Bey stake attacks, as Darnic and Vlad stand side by side_.

I may not know nothing else,

But I know this, I want to live!

I know this, I want to live!

_We see Mordred and Arturia supporting each other, badly injured, as they look up into the night sky. So too does James and Charles Potter, and Heracles. In the night sky are the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and we zoom in on Tamamo and Harry alongside 'Sieg' and Jeanne confronting Shirou Kotomine and Semiramis, the former changing into his regalia as Ruler. As the song ends, Tamamo, Harry, Jeanne and 'Sieg' charge_…

**CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, there you have it, a WBWL fic mixed in with a ****_Fate/Apocrypha_**** crossover. The lyrics are for ****_I Want to Live_**** by Skillet, which I don't own, obviously. It's going to be one of many ****_Fate/Apocrabridged_**** references in this fic…**

**Those of you who read the original iteration of this fic, ****_Dum Vivimus, Vivamus_****, will notice both a lot of differences, and a lot of similarities.**

**You know, I don't think there's an official English voice actress for Tamamo. While I know the Nasuverse adaptations are generally dubbed by Bang Zoom Entertainment than Funimation, there is some overlap between the two, and I personally think that Elizabeth Maxwell would make a good dub actress for Tamamo, on the strength of her playing Albedo from ****_Overlord_****. Albedo is basically a bit like a much more evil Tamamo in some regards, so I've sort of got her voice in mind for this…**

**1\. The constant complaint about the hard-to-pronounce Yggdmillennia name in ****_Fate/Apocrabridged_****'s first episode.**


	3. Chapter 2: Recriminations and

**CHAPTER 2:**

**RECRIMINATIONS AND REVELATIONS**

Lily Evans was angry. No, she was _furious_. She had gone off to track down Hyouma Sagara and stop him from doing what he intended to do, leaving her son to his own devices. Admittedly, that had been after what had been their biggest row since she came out of her coma, so she had to have expected him to do something stupid and reckless. But going to confront Yggdmillennia's forces on his own took the cake!

"…And now, you're trapped in the Great Holy Grail War!" Lily snapped at Harry, concluding this particular part of her rant.

"So? Waver was 19 when he fought in that auxiliary Grail War!" Harry retorted. "He came out just fine!"

"Which was due to luck, and the fact that he summoned a powerful Heroic Spirit in Iskandar!" Lily yelled. "Grail Wars have a high mortality rate for Masters, Harry. You know this."

"Yeah. So I've just got to make sure the deaths are all on Yggdmillennia's side! I've had enough, Mum! You keep holding me back! Stopping me from doing what I know I can do! And aren't you a hypocrite, when I can see you've got Command Seals on your hand as well?!"

"That's beside the point!"

"No, it isn't! I had to face Voldemort three times, as well as a Hungarian Horntail and a fucking Basilisk, long before I found you in the Department of Mysteries! I'm capable of fighting by myself! More than capable, and yet, you won't recognise it!"

"You sound so arrogant, so very much like your father!" Lily snapped, only to realise she had crossed a line.

And then, his eyes narrowed in fury, he crossed it right back. "And you sound very much like _Snivellous_. A mother should support their child, not hold them back!"

"Not when they want to commit suicide in the name of revenge!" Lily yelled right back.

"I'm not going to kill myself, just anyone in my way!" Harry shouted.

"And if I get in your way?" Lily asked in a dangerous tone.

"Well…I thought we loved each other…but I guess that was a lie, like everything else," he said, the painful barb hitting home, before he stormed into his room in the hotel suite they had rented, and slammed the door shut loudly. She nearly stormed in after him, but didn't. Emotions were running high, and while their relationship was good, she would like to think, there was an undercurrent of resentment over how he felt to be sidelined during missions, never allowed to go solo.

There was a reason for that: Harry was probably one of the best examples of a Homunculus outside of those created by the von Einzberns of Germany. Many Magi would give anything for a chance to vivisect him, and there was certainly a price on his head from many corners, ranging from a number of the Blood Purists back home, the ones who managed to survive, to Yggdmillennia itself. A part of it, true, was due to a bit of maternal coddling, overcompensation for not being there for most of his life, as well as trying to give Harry a normal home life, especially after what he went through at the Dursleys (Vernon, Petunia and Marge were now…guests of Zelretch, though thankfully, Dudley had turned his life around, and had recently begun work as a physical trainer for the Enforcers).

And then, there was his singleminded obsession with revenge on James, and possibly Charles. Once more, she cursed James for what he did to their family, and to herself. To Charles, he spoiled and pampered him, twisting his mind and body, making him buy into that messianic BS of the Boy Who Lived. To Harry, he abandoned him, and when he turned up again, showed his displeasure at Harry's refusal to simply obey him by leaving those burn scars on his face. The fact that James managed to use Amortentia on her to make her his willing lover just made things even more personal.

Lily sighed as she looked at the Command Seals on her hand. According to that old fossil Rocco Belfeban, Assassin of Red was the first Servant to be summoned on their side, by Shirou Kotomine. And now, the Red Faction had a second Assassin, one originally intended for the Black Faction. Jack the Ripper. She had sent Jack the Ripper out on a brief recce, so that the Servant wouldn't get the wrong idea during the argument and try to kill Harry.

"I'm a failure of a mother," she muttered quietly, after spending some time in dark thoughts.

"I'm not sure I would say that."

Lounging around on the…lounge in front of her was Harry's Servant. A Caster. Harry had already let slip that this was Tamamo-no-Mae, the infamous courtesan of Emperor Toba of 12th Century Japan, said to be a _kitsune_ or fox spirit. And despite her rather saucy way of dressing, the expression on the Caster's face was serious. A little angry, but not truly hostile to Lily. In truth, she looked more sad than anything.

"Your failure, Mother-in-Law, is less in your parenting as a whole, and more in particular things," Tamamo said. "Even while Astralized, my ears hurt from the screaming, and fox ears are pretty sensitive, let me tell you. I've put him to sleep with a little spell. I'm not saying my husband lacks fault. I understand why you don't want him to fight. But it's inevitable now. I chose to answer his summons, instead of that fatso. Gah! Not sure I would have liked him as a Master. I feel the need to wash my foot after punishing him for his insolence."

Lily chuckled, despite herself. The fact that Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia would most likely be singing soprano for the next few years was amusing. He and the other Yggdmillennia goons had been sent to the local branch of the Magus Association via Portkey, and the authorities, including those at Ise Shrine, notified about the near-theft of one of the Imperial Regalia. Plus, Tamamo's grimace about needing to wash her foot after kicking Gordes in the groin was hilarious. She needed the hilarity after what happened. And not just after the argument, either, but after what she witnessed.

She'd gone to a penthouse apartment in this city, one rented by Hyouma Sagara, an Yggdmillennia-affiliated Magus. She'd been accompanied on the mission by the infamous Kiritsugu Emiya, who was mostly retired these days, having become burnt out by his job, and only being saved from suicide by a young boy called Shirou, who had been orphaned by a Dead Apostle rampage through Fuyuki. Raising a child gave him a reason to live, and he had settled down with Shirou as his adopted son, and Maiya Hisau, his frequent assistant and lover, as his wife. However, Kiritsugu agreed on occasion to take certain jobs, and this was one of them.

Sagara had been delivered a certain artifact stolen from the Black Museum at Scotland Yard, a knife said to have belonged to the infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper. Earlier this night, he had also called a certain escort agency, paying for the services of one of their prostitutes, a young woman called Reika Rikudou. Lily had sprung into action, bursting through the door as Sagara, as a climax to his summoning (which was starting up), intended to kill Reika with the dagger.

But even as Lily used a Banishing Charm to knock him away, the summoning came to an end in a flare of light, and Jack the Ripper returned to existence. The infamous serial killer who had killed five prostitutes in London's East End, and may have killed more. Sagara made the mistake of gloating, before ordering Jack to kill Lily and Reika, not noticing that the Command Seals were not on his hand, but on Lily's.

In the bloody aftermath, Lily debated whether to remove Reika's memories or not, before deciding not to. Instead, the young prostitute had been sent with Kiritsugu, as he and Maiya were probably the best protectors for her in Japan. Yggdmillennia might come after her in revenge, though they knew better than to send someone after the Magus Killer, not while they were preparing for the Grail War.

Lily, however, was committed to the Great Holy Grail War now. Oh, she was hoping to be one of the Masters sent over, though she felt ambivalent about that. As much as she wanted revenge on James for what he did to her, she didn't want to die and leave Harry alone in the world, to say nothing of Remus, who was her new husband. Still, better her than, say, that pompous idiot Feend vor Sembren. He may have been a good Magus and academic, but she knew he'd be eaten alive out in the field. Look what happened to that pompous arse Kayneth Archibald, the late and very unlamented Lord El-Melloi. Kayneth was like Lucius Malfoy, only more skilled…but those didn't save him.

And now her son was. In fact, both of them probably were.

Lily knew that Clock Tower's hidebound higher-ups (not quite as hidebound as many wizards were, but still, there was the same conservative attitudes and snobbery) were reluctant to send her to Romania. It was why she had been left out of the fifty-man squad sent there to try and assassinate Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia (fuck that name), because they thought she was likely to act outside of orders. Which was odd, considering Sirius was going there. As it was, given Darnic's pompous missive sent to Clock Tower, Lily feared that those Enforcers would meet a sticky end. She hoped Sirius wouldn't be amongst them.

"If you're worried about your son, then don't," Tamamo said. "As his Servant, I am his protector. If anything, I'm as worried about his wellbeing as you are. Physically and psychologically. But he wants to fight."

"That's part of the problem," Lily hissed quietly. Not in anger, but in dismay. "Dumbledore and James basically raised him as a weapon, albeit as a decoy. That he survived his first five years at Hogwarts was a damned miracle! I'm surprised he's not suicidal, and I mean beyond having a reckless disregard for his own life! That's just his father's genetics! No, I'm surprised, given the treatment Petunia and Vernon put them through, to say nothing of Snivellous or Dumbledore, that he hasn't tried killing himself. While I can't honestly say that I'm a paragon of mental health, not after everything, Harry is worse. I want him to have as normal a life as he can."

"Maybe he's not meant to," Tamamo said with a shrug. "I don't know. But…it's his choice to make. Like with me. I may regret how things turned out, but I never regretted making the choice to become a mortal entity. Just…try to have a nice sleep. Hopefully, you'll both be a lot calmer in the morning…"

* * *

Tamamo's advice turned out to be spot on. There was still lingering resentment and anger, but the majority of it had been taken away by sleep, and the three of them were currently waiting for room service. After some rather reluctant but still somewhat sincere apologies were made (Harry didn't apologise for summoning Tamamo, only for attacking his mother verbally, and she appreciated that much at least), Harry said, "So…I've only seen your Command Seals, not Assassin. And didn't you say they were Jack the Ripper? Isn't that…well, dangerous, considering that they were a serial killer?"

"I thought so too, but…I spoke to her while you were gallivanting about, and Jackie is…well, misunderstood. If you've gained someone claiming to be your wife, then I've gained another child, a daughter."

"Wait, what? Jack the Ripper was a girl?"

"Not exactly. Her chosen form is a girl. Jackie? You can come out now."

Shimmering out of the air, sitting on her lap, was a sight that she could tell disturbed her son. The fact that Jack the Ripper appeared to be a girl in her early teens at the oldest, and more likely to be pre-teen, was shocking enough. Jackie had a short, rough bob of silver hair framing cute features, marred by a couple of scars. Her golden eyes peered at them curiously.

Of course, what was even more shocking was her apparel, little more than a vest and what looked like a G-string. It was indecent apparel at the best of times for an adult, but on a child, it was utterly obscene, and she intended to find a way to change that. The holsters with lots and lots of knives didn't help, either.

"Heavens me, what is with her costume?" Tamamo huffed.

"I don't know, but I think the Throne of Heroes must be a sick and twisted mind to dress her up like this," Lily said. "Jackie, please put on your cloak."

Jackie nodded. "Okay, Mummy," she said, before her tattered cloak appeared, and she nuzzled into Lily.

"Jack the Ripper…was a little girl, wearing some paedophile's fantasy outfit," Harry said flatly. "What the fuck?"

"Harry, mind your language in front of her, please. And she's not just a little girl. Think of her as a gestalt of the souls of children who fell through the cracks in Victorian England, the wraiths of children who died of hunger or murder on the streets of London…all of which coalesced into a single child who wanted to go back where it was warm…the womb." She stroked the girl's hair. "Hence why what she did to those prostitutes in London."

"We didn't like the bad man's mana," Jackie hissed suddenly. "It was all cold and poison, like the river, like the smog, choking us and burning us. But Mummy's mana…it was warm. We haven't been warm in so long. And she was protecting Miss Reika. So, we decided she would be our Master."

"Jackie's not inherently evil," Lily said quietly. "She didn't understand what she was doing was wrong, because the souls that made her up never lived long enough to develop any real sense of morality. That's why I think we can trust her. Besides, one less Servant on the side of the enemy is better than nothing, and while Assassins may be weak in terms of combat ability, they're still dangerous. Jackie has a number of dangerous skills, including the ability to erase information about her appearance and abilities from the minds of those she confronts, as well as an ability to summon a poisonous smog that enhances her main Noble Phantasm, Maria the Ripper."

"Scary," Tamamo remarked. "Do you want me to do something about those clothes, though? As a Caster, one of my skills is in Item Creation. I could potentially change her combat clothes, without affecting her ability to fight. How does that sound?"

Lily pursed her lips, and then looked down at Jackie. "What do you say, Jackie? Do you want new clothes?"

"As long as they're warm and easy to move around in, we're fine!" chirped the Assassin.

Tamamo smiled, before she waved a hand. The cloak around Jackie shifted and transformed, becoming a simple but warm-looking black shirt with a red hood. Instead of the ridiculously small underwear she wore before, she now wore leggings(1). Of course, she still had the holsters with a ridiculous array of knives and daggers, but that was par for the course.

"She actually looks a bit more like a normal kid now," Harry said. "Okay, so, what next? I mean, now that we've calmed down and all."

"We take a Portkey back to London to touch base with Waver and Rocco," Lily said. "Like it or not, both of us are stuck in this. I'm still not happy with this, but…"

Whatever she was going to say was interrupted by the chirruping of her phone, and she opened it up, to hear the distinct tones of Waver Velvet, sounding rather ruffled. "_Lily, this is Waver. We only just received a report from Emiya about what happened last night. Am I to understand that you are now the Master of the Assassin Yggdmillennia intended to summon?_"

"Yes, Waver. I'm sorry about not sending an email report myself, but Harry and I had a bit of an argument, to say the least. He was the one who intercepted Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia and his people at the Ise Shrine. However, in the process, he became the Master of a Caster Servant. I was hoping to discuss the matter in person."

"_Very well. However, while taking Gordes into custody is a good thing, unfortunately, we've had bad news coming out of Romania_," Waver said, filling Lily's soul with cold dread. "_Only one Enforcer returned from Romania. Almost all of the others were killed by a Servant Darnic summoned, a Lancer or Rider that we believe to be Vlad the Impaler._"

"…And Sirius?"

"_He wasn't killed. In fact, he was captured. I'm sorry, Lily, but Sirius Black is in the hands of the enemy_…"

**CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Oh dear. Complications of all sorts have arisen, but why was Sirius captured alive? And Lily has Jackie!**

**Now, the argument was partly there to show that, despite Harry and Lily loving each other, they also have a lot of contentious issues. Harry's still got a fuckton of anger issues, and he sees what Lily's doing as coddling, albeit not without reason. It's unfair to blame her, but he also has a point, just as she does, but unfortunately, he got more than a little unreasonable, and she stepped a bit too far in trying to get him to back down.**

**Also, I'm not sure if Tamamo has Item Creation as a skill. I thought all Casters had that plus Territory Creation. However, for the sake of this story, I'm assuming she has a weak form of it.**

**1\. If you want an idea as to what Jackie is wearing instead of her obscene costume in canon, look up DalkonCledwin's ****_Type-Moon Anthology_**** compilation of initial chapters. They have a cover picture of Jackie in a more age-appropriate outfit, which is what she will be wearing for this fic.**


	4. Chapter 3: Alliances

**CHAPTER 3:**

**ALLIANCES**

"So, how are the tests on the captured wizard?" The man who asked the question was a tall, imposing man with an aquiline but oddly beautiful face framed by tresses of dark hair, seemingly in his twenties, save for his cold, merciless eyes, that betrayed his true age. He was playing chess with a most extraordinary figure, whose blue and black striped hooded robes could have seemed more like a clownish outfit. Instead, coupled with the impassive golden mask, the effect was more unnerving than comical, with the only sign that there was a person beneath it all being what looked like tresses of blonde hair peeking out from between the hood and the rest of the robes. When the figure spoke, it was with a calm, collected tone.

"It seems that your theory was correct, Lord Darnic. Mr Black will indeed make a suitable core for my Noble Phantasm, once my ultimate golem is ready. Indeed, I do believe that means we can dispense with testing the Homunculi for now. However, I would like to raise a point of concern. I have been observing Lord Potter for some time now, inbetween my monitoring of the golems and Homunculi, along with teaching Roche. Of all the magic users affiliated with Yggdmillennia, he strikes me as being too ambitious for his own good. I warn you simply because his ambitions may interfere with my work of completing my Noble Phantasm."

"I am fully aware of that, Avicebron," Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia said. "I thank you for your loyalty, fuelled by pragmatism though it may be, but I have been aware of Potter's ambitions since the day he joined me, back in the dying days of the wizards' petty little squabble in the Seventies. He must've shouted down that ridiculous hat at Hogwarts into having him go into Gryffindor instead of Slytherin. He grew up in privilege, a spoiled brat whom everything was handed to him on a silver platter, and he was allowed to get away with almost anything. I even heard he used Amortentia on Lily Evans after her breakup with Severus Snape. However, his usefulness, for now, exceeds his ambitions, and I have tied his son to our clan by marrying him to Fiore. The pair of them get along quite well, in fact, and while Charles Potter is spoilt, he at least is nowhere near as obnoxious as his father. And a merger of wizarding and Magi bloodlines is a rare event."

"Partly because of the differing attitudes to magic, to say nothing of the different magic systems involved," Avicebron observed. "Magi use magic circuits, and their magecraft is considerably more customisable, though it's also harder to use. Wizards find it easier to use magic, and it's a little more versatile, but it's harder to create new spells, and they tend to be less energy efficient. Magi take a somewhat more logical and objective view towards magic, whereas wizards tend to view it as far more of a birthright. Both sides are conservative by modern standards, but Magi tend to accept technology more than wizards. And wizarding magic does not attract Gaia's attention."

"As you can imagine, it was hard creating a Homunculus clone of Charles Potter back in 1980, especially before I had Gordes under my aegis. Homunculi generally have magic circuits, not the cores of wizards. He also needed to last long enough to avoid suspicion. I've heard rumours from our sources in Clock Tower that he found a way to modify his body so that he has a lifespan comparable with a human, which I have to admit is an admirable feat."

"Admiring the enemy?"

"Admiring my handiwork, and in any case, a skilled enemy, while aggravating and infuriating, can still be admired. He doesn't lack for skill, despite the fact that he was a decoy. If anything, he has the potential to surpass Charles, though Potter would not countenance that." A sardonic smile touched Darnic's lips. "And he wishes to avenge himself on James Potter, and possibly myself. I even tried, through my agents in Clock Tower, to activate the countermeasures I embedded within him, and he had already removed them. Aggravating, but admirable all the same."

"The creation avenging himself on the creator. A literary cliché come to life," Avicebron observed. "If he somehow stole the blueprints for Frankenstein's monster that Caules was intending to summon and used those, it would've been more apposite."

"Perhaps. More concerning is Lily Evans. Unlike her Homunculus child, she is skilled and focussed in a way that approaches the likes of the Magus Killer. And now she has our Assassin. Still, she will fall, and I will present her to Potter to do with as he will…"

* * *

While the Evans family wasn't exactly rich, Lily did get quite a bit of money from the more dangerous jobs she did for Clock Tower, and even got a stipend from the infamous Wizard Marshall, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, for being one of the few people who could stand being not only an interesting apprentice, but also an intelligent conversationalist who wasn't afraid to voice what she thought. This was high praise coming from Zelretch, of all people, given his tendency to break people he didn't like, usually through pranks or arduous 'apprenticeships'. His latest apprentice, one Rin Tohsaka, was one of the few he wasn't trying to break, at least not for shits and giggles. Getting her to become a better Magus and human was another matter, but Luna and Zelretch relished the challenge.

In any case, the monies meant that Lily had recently bought a fairly large house for herself, Remus and Harry to live in near Canterbury, as well as Sirius, who didn't want to spend any real time at his family's ancestral seat at 12 Grimmauld Place. Sirius' facetious suggestion of calling it the Lily Pad promptly got him hexed. She called it Evanescence, as a pun on her surname, as well as a tribute to a band she had recently come to enjoy. Any friends of the family left were welcome here, so Hermione and Luna sometimes crashed here. It went without saying that it was warded up the wazoo.

One feature of note that it had was a training room, part-gym, part-obstacle course, part-firing range, used for Enforcer training. And in it, Remus Lupin watched as his de facto and her new charge went through it. It was hard to believe that Jack the Ripper was a young girl, and such a tragic and twisted one at that. Of course, it was the first time that Remus had ever met a Servant, that and the Tamamo woman Harry was now stuck with.

Remus had thought himself unlovable, given the curse inflicted on him at such a young age, to say nothing of his more introverted, passive demeanour. Lily, after all was said and done, proved otherwise, and while you couldn't say their relationship was perfect by any means, it was still better than anything the grizzled werewolf could have hoped for. They didn't try for kids: Lily was sterile thanks to the curses Voldemort used on her, and Remus was afraid of passing on his curse to any offspring anyway. To say nothing of the issue of Harry and Charles. He hadn't thought them to be products of what was basically Amortentia-enabled rape, but either he was more willingly blind to James' faults than he thought, or James worsened since his initial years at Hogwarts. He'd always been rather spoilt and privileged, true, but he didn't mind making friends with all strata of Gryffindor. At least at first. Was it Dumbledore's influence? Or was it a teenaged mindset he never grew out of? A sense of entitlement, invincibility, and a desire for power?

Remus' thoughts were interrupted when the door opened, and the familiar form of Waver Velvet, Lord El-Melloi II, walked in. A tall, thin, sardonic-looking man with neck length dark hair, he was in many regards rather like Snape, if Snape invested in some shampoo and a no-nonsense attitude as opposed to a vicious one. And a relatively handsome face. Waver had been involved in an auxiliary Grail War ten years ago, stealing the catalyst of his then teacher, the late and unlamented Kayneth Archibald, and becoming the Master of Rider, aka Iskandar, better known as Alexander the Great. He'd come back from that Grail War older and a little wiser and, thanks to his teacher's death, gained his title, albeit as a regent of sorts for the next Lord El-Melloi.

Waver had met the new Servants during a rather tense meeting at Clock Tower, one Remus hadn't been involved in. The handsome young Magus nodded and gave Remus a rather wan smile. "I've come to bring Lily and Harry the necessary travel documentation. They may be taking Portkeys to Romania, but if the local authorities catch them without the right documents, there might be trouble. We've faked some for Jack and Tamamo."

Remus took the folder proffered. Waver was one of the few in Clock Tower Lily would trust with the true identities of the Servants involved. "I'm worried about them," he said. "They're heading into a warzone. More or less willingly."

"I understand. I was stupid when I thought it'd be a cakewalk. Iskandar was powerful, true, but when that witch managed to get him with her Noble Phantasm, I was lucky that she decided to let me go."

"What happened to Medea again? She managed to win the Grail War."

"She's just enjoying life with her new Master. That particular Grail actually worked, and while it couldn't access the Root properly, Medea got reincarnated, and Animusphere managed to save that friend of his. They have a daughter now, actually. Anyway, the thing we're worried about is Assassin. Leaving aside her identity as Jack the Ripper, there is the fact that Lily effectively, if inadvertently, stole her from the Black Faction. I couldn't care less about Yggdmillennia's whining on the issue, but Ruler is another matter."

"Ruler?" Remus asked.

"Oh, right. Standard Grail Wars have seven classes, though others are, technically, available, according to the documents the von Einzberns have been willing to share on sufferance. In cases like this, when you have two teams of seven Servants against each other, a fifteenth Servant called Ruler is summoned. They are a saint of some kind, to act as an impartial judge, taking the role of the Church's Overseer from the previous Grail Wars, and have the ability to command any Servant in the Grail War. I doubt that taking Assassin from their side inadvertently would count as a breach of the rules, as Assassin has chosen her Master willingly. Still, when they head to Romania, I want them to make contact with Ruler ASAP. Also, I want them to team up with Kairi Sisigou."

"He's participating in the Grail War?" Remus had heard of the mercenary necromancer before.

"It was decided to make him Master of Saber at the last minute, and he's been given a fragment from the Round Table for a catalyst. Given that the Potters are said to be in possession of Avalon, it seems like a wise choice. The other Masters of Red have already headed to Romania. That being said, we're yet to hear any direct word from them, save from the Master of Assassin, Shirou Kotomine. While that in itself is not unusual, we had hoped to hear from Jean Rum, at least, as she is usually quite punctual with reports. Incidentally, where's Harry?"

"He's in his rooms, getting to know Tamamo. He's a little disconcerted about her calling him 'Husband' all the time, so, in order to make the best of the situation, he's trying to get to know her, and vice versa. With some success. Tamamo is a decent person, but she's also quite self-centred and clingy. On the other hand, she and Lily have hit it off, more or less, and Lily's been able to keep Tamamo from going too far." He frowned when he came to another file. "Are these the catalysts Yggdmillennia may have a hold of?"

"Indeed. It's quite an impressive list. One, for example, is the notebook of Avicebron."

"Aka Solomon ibn Gabriol, the noted alchemist, kabbalist, poet and philosopher," Remus noted. "A Caster, then. Another relic was a fragment of a myrtle tree, said to be the one Astolfo was trapped in by the sorceress Alcina. One of the twelve Paladins of Charlemagne might be a challenge. A fragment of the Golden Fleece, part of the floor from the Temple of Heracles, a piece of metal said to be from Harpe, the weapon Perseus used to slay Medusa, one of the masks used by the leaders of the Assassins…this is worrisome, and the list is so long, we don't know which of these would be used for sure. They've even stolen antique guns, one supposedly used by Francis Drake, the other by Oda Nobunaga!"

"All of which means, we need to be ready for almost anything," Lily said, coming over, Jackie in tow, the little Assassin skipping over merrily. If it weren't for the fact that Remus knew who she was, she'd just seem like a relatively normal girl…scars aside. "Hi, Waver. Sorry I didn't come over sooner, but Jackie and I were working on how we're going to be using her abilities. Plus, I needed to work off some aggression after Rocco tore strips off me and my son."

Waver looked at the various targeting dummies, most of which were either in ashes, or else sliced up by thrown knives. "I noticed," he remarked dryly…

* * *

If you'd asked Harry ten years ago where he would be, then being given a lap pillow by a _kitsune_ who was an infamous courtesan from Japanese legend and actually a fragment of the sun deity Amaterasu would not have even entered into consideration. While it was a somewhat intimate activity, it felt less…intrusive than kissing or anything further did. He'd only known his Servant for a few days, after all, despite her calling him 'Husband' most of the time. It felt more affectionate than lustful. Plus, there was something about her smell, warm and yet animalistic, that was comforting.

Over the past little while, Tamamo had told him her story, and in return, he told her his own. They learned about each other's abilities for battle and normal abilities. She had Territory Creation and Item Creation (the latter at a low level), as was fairly standard for Casters, as well as a shapeshifting ability and an expertise in a form of witchcraft. As a wizard, with a fairly strong supply of mana, Tamamo could actually fight to her full potential (as much as she could without needing her full divine power), with her Noble Phantasm, the Eightfold Blessings of Amaterasu, the true form of the very mirror used to summon her, at a potentially high ranking of power.

"I guess we have a few things in common," Tamamo mused as she ran her fingers through Harry's messy thatch of black hair. "We gained a fame that proved to be double-edged, and yet, our deepest desire was only to be loved."

"They'd love you these days," Harry said. "Japan's really into stuff like catgirls, and its spread. A sexy _kitsune_ would be right up their alley."

"As amusing and heartening though that is, I'm not into random nerds," Tamamo said softly. "In truth, my wish is to find love, and to be loved in return, for what I am. I'll admit, I can be mercurial and selfish at times, but that's the way I am. Scars aside, you're a fine catch. Handsome, compassionate and passionate, but with just enough of a dark side for my liking. While I would like a knight in shining armour, someone who understands pain is also desirable."

"I don't think I ever got shot full of arrows, though," Harry muttered.

"I don't recommend the experience, Husband. I'm a _kitsune_, not a hedgehog. Of course, the pain of a broken heart is a powerful thing. The Emperor and his court blamed me for his illness, even though I was the very deity they worshipped. Well, part of her. Irony abounds."

Harry laughed bleakly. "A shame. You look beautiful, Tamamo."

The _kitsune_ blushed. "Heavens me, you really like to spoil me, don't you?"

"You're the one giving me a lap pillow when we barely know each other, Tamamo," Harry said. "Love at first sight doesn't exist. Lust at first sight, true. But love?" Another bleak chuckle wormed its way from his lips. "I'm surprised I even have the capacity anymore. I love Mum, but we also argue a lot. She's too overprotective at times. And she doesn't approve of me wanting revenge."

"Because it will be dangerous for you. I've read the reports on what happened, with the Lancer Servant Vlad Tepes killing all those Enforcers. Yes, I know, they have your godfather. But…well, while I'm a good Caster for combat, we Casters are at our best with a home base, a territory to make our own. We are patient, waiting for our foes to enter our domains, to trap them. Rushing in half-cocked will only serve to hasten your demise, and thus mine."

Harry knew this, at least on an intellectual level, but he hated being reminded of it. He gritted his teeth, before he said, "Promise me one thing…"

"Maybe."

"When we meet James Potter…you use that Castration Fist thing as your first attack," Harry said. "Only, I want his balls to be pulped."

"Oh-ho-ho-ho…" Tamamo chortled. "What a nasty-minded Husband I have. Oh, don't worry, I'll do just that. Though I'm curious…what will you do about your brother?"

Harry scowled at the thought of Charles. "He's no brother of mine. While I'm not sure I want to kill him, I do want you to use the Castration Fist on him at least once, on the same level you gave Gordes. I want him to feel something of my pain."

"…Have you ever been kicked in the testicles, Husband?"

"You've never lost a game of Harry Hunting, have you?" Harry said, thinking back to more than a few times when Piers and Dudley would get him in the groin. "Anyway, there's more in Yggdmillennia to worry about than my brother…"

**CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, there you have it. We have some insight into Yggdmillennia, and some bonding time between the Evans family and their Servants. In the original story, this chapter had Mordred's summoning instead of this preamble involving the Servants. The next chapter will have Mordred's summoning, as well as some look into what Charles is doing in Yggdmillennia…**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	5. Chapter 4: Kairi and Mordred

**CHAPTER 4:**

**KAIRI AND MORDRED**

Charles Potter looked at the report his soon-to-be brother-in-law Caules brought him. While many thought Caules weak for being a relatively untalented Magus, Charles thought otherwise. He was not exactly assertive, and his weak animal familiars did place him at a lower tier of magic-using compared to his sister Fiore. But Caules also understood how to use technology, and he also knew how to use his familiars creatively. Quite frankly, Charles reckoned Caules would have made a better Master of Rider than that freaky bitch Celenike, but unfortunately, he'd been overruled.

Still, he couldn't help but feel angry as he looked at the reports. "So, my treacherous mother and the decoy are here in Romania. It seems the reports of them becoming Masters for Clock Tower are true. And Evans stole Sagara's Assassin."

"Calm yourself, Charlie," Fiore said, sipping from a cup of tea. Fiore was a girl of about 19, utterly beautiful with tresses of light brown hair, a rather lovely figure that the Yggdmillennia uniform seemed to only accentuate, and a dignified demeanour. She was, however, confined to a wheelchair, due to a prodigious amount of magic circuits in her legs, which interfered with them being able to move properly.

"Telling someone to calm down does the opposite, usually," Charles said, albeit without any anger towards his fiancée. "Anyway, Roche's already annoyed me with how much he's going on about Avicebron. I don't know why. That masked Caster gives me the creeps."

"He gives us all the creeps," Caules said. "When he looks at you, he looks like he's going to start vivisecting you, even though you can't see his eyes behind that mask."

"Caules, you don't speak that way about allies!" Fiore rebuked. However, Charles had grown to like Caules, and so intervened on his behalf.

"He's right, though. Avicebron is not our friend."

Fiore shook her head, dismissing the subject. "Anyway, you're definitely summoning King Arthur during the ceremony tonight?"

"Yes. What about you? Still going for Chiron as an Archer?"

"Of course. I'll even bring that gem pendant Rin gave me while we were still at Clock Tower," she said. "She gave it to me for luck, after using up the mana inside it for her project working on the Wizard Marshall's Jewel Sword."

"It's a very pretty gem," Charles admitted. It was some sort of ruby or another deep red jewel, a beautiful thing set in a pendant, one of many jewels the Tohsakas used for their Jewelcraft. "Anyway, once we summon our Servants, we'll be unstoppable. And I'm going to put an end to that mistake, for once and for all…"

* * *

Not long after making it to Romania, Harry and Lily, along with their Servants, rendezvoused with Kairi Sisigou. His name was actually Kairi Shishigou, but he had Romanised his surname slightly. The burly Magus mercenary had a rather leonine look to him, looking rather like the bounty hunter he often worked as, with wild hair, a short beard, and sharp eyes mostly hidden behind sunglasses. The right side of his face was marred by a few parallel scars, like claw marks. The main thing Harry didn't like about him was the stench of tobacco smoke lingering around him like a vengeful ghost.

Harry had met the man before, with Kiritsugu bringing him in for a couple of lessons when Harry was being tutored by the infamous Magus Killer (while Lily was off on another mission). While he couldn't say he was friendly with the man per se, the greetings were friendly enough. As they walked to the graveyard where Kairi intended to perform the summoning, Kairi said, "Y'know, I didn't know Rocco that well, but I could tell you really pissed him off something fierce, Evans. Both of you."

"You say that like it's a bad thing, Kairi. You may call me Lily if you wish," Lily said.

"Right. Anyway, I ain't saying that pissing off some of those relics is a bad thing, but they hold grudges somethin' fierce," he said.

"They have Sirius. And _that man_ is there. That's all that needs to be said on the matter. I trust you to watch my back, though I'm not sure about the other Masters in the Red Faction," Harry said. "Plus, there's the fact that I'm a little suspicious about the priest from the Church who's supposed to be in charge of the Red Faction, or at least coordinating it. It's annoying that the Church has dropped its neutrality in the Grail War. Plus, I've met his brother."

"Yeah, Kiritsugu said you were trained for a time by Kirei Kotomine. And what's with his brother?"

"Kirei only spoke of Shirou a couple of times. He was apparently adopted by his father, and Shirou avoided him for some reason or another," Harry said.

"I'm not surprised," Lily said. "I've met Kirei myself, and there's something wrong with him. I think he's a psychopath, but one who remained in hiding, so to speak."

They had reached the graveyard by this point, and as Kairi began drawing out the ritual circle, Tamamo looked around, Jackie perched on her shoulders. "I know you are a necromancer, Mr Sisigou, but isn't this something of a cliché?"

"Don't call me Mr Sisigou, Tammy," Kairi said. "I may be older than you, but I ain't that old. And, well, I've been in graveyards all my life. Plus, it's where I get my materials to work with." They had revealed Tamamo and Jackie's identities to Kairi. The latter would be a moot point because of Jackie's Information Erasure skill.

"You have hearts on you," Jackie said, sniffing. "We can smell them."

"You don't want any heart I can offer. I turn them into what is basically a chemical grenade with a few curses mixed in for good measure," Kairi said. "Anyway, doesn't your mother give you enough energy?"

Jackie shrugged. "Of course she does. I was just curious."

"I'm more annoyed. A graveyard seems like a cliché of gothic horror," Tamamo remarked. "And it's so inelegant and dark and dismal."

Soon, Kairi was finished with the ritual circle, nodded, and then sat on a nearby grave for a moment, smoking, looking pensive. Finally, he sat back up, and extinguished his cigarette, crushing it in his hand, before he put out his hand. The ritual circle began to flare with light as he began the incantation, before a crimson pillar of light belched into the sky. As the light cleared away, they soon saw an armoured figure in the middle, with a horned helmet that looked surprisingly intimidating. It was kneeling, though it soon stood, armour clanking. As it looked at its audience, Kairi asked, "And you are…?"

The figure seemed to come to a conclusion, before its helmet seemed to disassemble, parts of it slotting down onto its front and rear of the chestplate. The face it revealed was androgynous, but Harry realised that it was a girl, in her teens, with wild blond hair tied up in a ponytail, and emerald eyes. She had a savage beauty. She jabbed her sword into the ground. "I am Sir Mordred Pendragon, the rightful heir to Arthur, the King of Knights!" She then gave a feral-looking grin. "So…tell me somethin' real quick, because I'm guessing you're my new Master."

Kairi seemed a little bemused, as did they all, not helped when her armour dissolved in a flare of crimson light, leaving her in a rather skimpy outfit, with her chest covered by little more than an elaborate breast band. She looked around, her eyes narrowing upon seeing the others, before she grunted. "A graveyard? You're a necromancer, aren't you? Dammit, I always get the freaks…"

"_Wow_," Kairi said flatly. "Firstly, I'm actually quite hurt. Secondly, hi! The name's Kairi Sisigou, the _freak_ who summoned you from the Throne of Heroes. And thirdly, you're not quite what I expected either. Seriously, Mordred was a woman?"

Suddenly, Mordred's sword was at Kairi's neck, and she was glaring at him. "Bring up my womanhood one more time, and I'll give you one _where your neck should be_," she snarled(1). But then, she stilled when she felt a weight on her back and a blade at her own throat.

"You're mean," Jackie said, now clad in her new battle clothes of a shirt and leggings, with knife holsters all along her waist, clinging to Mordred's back, while having one of her daggers at Mordred's neck. "Play nice, _or we get to __**play**__ with __**you**_."

"Jackie," Lily said sharply. "Please stop. Mordred, could you please lower your sword?"

As Jackie leapt away, changing back once more into her civvie clothes, Mordred scoffed. "You're not my father. And keep the brat under control." But she lowered her sword. She looked around, and noticed the shard of the Round Table. Realising what she intended, Lily quickly summoned it into her hand, and put it into her bag. "Oi, what gives?"

"You were going to destroy it. It's rather priceless," Lily remarked.

"Heavens me, what a rude brat you've summoned, Kairi," Tamamo chortled.

"Hey, what was that, fox bitch?" Mordred demanded.

"Calm down, Mordred," Harry said. "Anyway, just so you know, women warriors are pretty commonplace in fiction these days. It's still a sexist society, but, well, a female knight won't turn as many heads. Hell, you'd probably get nerds begging you to marry them."

Mordred glared at him, before scoffing. "Whatever. So, I'm guessing you guys are allies with my Master for now?"

"Yeah. This is Lily Evans, an Enforcer for Clock Tower, and her son Harry, a trainee Enforcer. These two are their Servants. Tammy is the Caster of Red, while Jackie here was going to be the Assassin of Black," Kairi said.

Mordred looked over the Servants, before striding up to Tamamo, her emerald eyes gazing into Tamamo's golden eyes. "A Caster, huh? Well, at least you ain't my bitch of a mother or that effeminate cambion troll, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt for now. Not that I trust you."

"The feeling's rather mutual, Moedred," Tamamo said, playfully sticking out her tongue.

"It's Mordred! And what's a 'mo-eh'?"

"She's basically saying you're cute," Lily said. "This is Tamamo-no-Mae. And this is Jack the Ripper."

"What? The serial killer?!"

"She's on our side, Mordred. She's misunderstood, like you," Lily said. "…Like all of us, I guess. Anyway, she killed fewer people than you did." And indeed, the diminutive serial killer had been accepted into this makeshift team rather quickly for various reasons. It was a fair bet to say that one of the Servants Yggdmillennia would summon would be none other than King Arthur, either as a Saber or a Lancer (the latter because Arthur had used a lance known as Rhongomyniad), and either way, that would be troublesome, to say the least. So denying Yggdmillennia their Assassin Servant was a good thing, in that it reduced their manpower. Plus, Jackie, once you got past the grotesque facts about her origins, let alone the fact that she was a serial killer, was quite adorable. Lily, Harry and Tamamo frequently gave her hugs, to her delight.

Mordred grit her teeth, before she said, "Well, the only people I enjoyed killing were traitors to my father. Until he showed his true colours, until he denied me the throne that was mine by right of blood."

"So your wish is to be king in his stead?" Kairi asked.

"Not exactly," Mordred said. "I wish to have a chance at taking Caliburn, the Sword of Selection, from the stone in his place. I intend to prove myself worthy of the throne he denied me."

"I thought the Sword in the Stone was Excalibur," Harry muttered. "Shows what I know. Though you might get a chance to see your father again." As Mordred whirled on him, he said, "Look, one of the relics my family apparently safeguarded was Avalon, the sheath of Excalibur. Odds are the Black Faction will use it as a catalyst."

"Oh-ho-ho?" Mordred said, an interesting, and slightly deranged expression coming over her features. "Will they now? Well now, Master," she said, turning to Kairi, "I think we're gonna get along just famously. So, when will we start the fighting?"

"Not yet. We need to meet with a certain priest. So put on your Sunday best, Mordred, we're going to church…"

**CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, there you have it. We have some insight into Charles, and Moedred has been summoned!**

**Also, a little note on translation. I know Tamamo's famous for her "Mikon!" exclamation, but I don't know what the hell that means, and a cursory search online has proved unenlightening. So, I'm going with how they translate it in ****_Fate/Extella_****, as an exclamation of "Heavens me". I personally think there's way too many fanfics that use gratuitous Japanese, particularly where honorifics are concerned (****_Naruto_**** fics are a particularly egregious source of these), and I try to use English equivalents, unless I feel they are appropriate.**

**Anyway, next chapter, we'll see the post-summoning scene at Yggdmillennia's stronghold, but through Arturia's eyes…**

**Review-answering time! ****Yorae Rasantae****: Yes it was.**

**george17****: You raise a fairly valid point, but you should note that nowhere did I say that she wasn't. If anything, I am implying that Jackie is actually said wraiths of aborted foetuses, PLUS the children who died of starvation, murder, sickness, etc on the streets of Victorian London, which was NOT a good place to be if you lived below the poverty line, young or old. My point is mostly that she is basically an anthropomorphic personification of the dark side of Victorian London. Indeed, Lily hints at this from what she mentions about what she experienced during the Dream Cycle in a later chapter, and in the Jackie POV chapter coming up, I also state that many of those comprising her died before leaving the womb. I'm more dancing around the subject than anything else, but frankly, I think she'd be a lot more scary and disturbing (not that she isn't already for oh so many reasons) if she wasn't just basically a gestalt of aborted foetus souls.**

**Gabriel Herrol****: Yeah, Jackie in a decent set of clothes is only a good thing. However, hiding the fact under a Fidelius also won't stop the fact that he and Lily still have prices on their heads from certain corners, so there's quite a bit of overprotective mothering there.**

**1\. Parts of this scene were modified from the equivalent scene in episode 1 of ****_Fate/Apocrabridged_****. Iskander Mandoraekon also used similar elements in the first chapter of their story (currently in their ****_Story Idea Drabbles_****) ****_Fate/Dawn and Dusk_****.**


	6. Chapter 5: Shards of Honour

**CHAPTER 5:**

**SHARDS OF HONOUR(****1)**

"Your attention please!" called out a rather high, girlish voice in the vast chamber in which Arturia Pendragon had been summoned. In truth, she had not been expecting to be summoned to another Holy Grail War…only the Grail itself supplied information that showed that she was no longer in the timeline she knew of. The Fourth Holy Grail War, the one where she fought alongside the Magus Killer, never took place, and neither did the Fifth, although it was about the time for the latter.

Did Shirou exist in this world? Did Rin, Illya or Irisviel? Arturia didn't know, save that she had been summoned as a member of the Black Faction, the faction whose leader had stolen the Greater Grail. Still, she had come at the Grail's summons. She wasn't quite sure what her wish was anymore, true, but finding some way to atone for the mistakes of her rule could be part of it.

The person who had called out was a rather effeminate pink-haired figure, dressed in clothes that were very feminine. For a moment, Arturia was understandably confused, though not as much as one would think, as she had considerable experience with how hazy gender boundaries could be, given that she herself pretended to be a teenaged boy, forever caught in the prime of youth by Avalon. Which was true, save for her gender. However, she realised that the figure was an effeminate young man who wore feminine garments. The energy and childishness vaguely reminded her of Taiga Fujimura, Shirou's guardian, as well as Irisviel in her more impish moments, and she couldn't help the small nostalgic smile that came to her lips.

"I just had a brilliant idea, to get to know each other!" the young man said. "How's about we share our names? I mean, we're all friends, right? And we know our commander, Lancer Servant Vlad III of Wallachia!"

Arturia spared a glance for the lean, elegantly-dressed man seated on a nearby throne. While she detested his reputation of cruelty, she also understood how much effort the infamous Vlad the Impaler put into defending his country, and indeed, to many in Romania, he was a hero, rather than the infamous monster who would be immortalised as the vampire Dracula in Abraham 'Bram' Stoker's famous horror novel. His elegant features were framed by blonde locks, his goatee neatly trimmed, the only sign of any madness or imbalance being his sunken eyes with dark rings around them, as if he never slept.

If anything, Arturia was more wary of his Master, Darnic, than she was of Vlad Tepes. The leader of Yggdmillennia was an affront to her instincts. For all Kiritsugu's ruthlessness and his singleminded fixation on his goal, he at least had some righteousness to him. However, the man standing by the infamous Wallachian voivode seemed to be a consummate Magus.

Then again, there were two others in this room she was particularly wary of. One was standing near someone who looked like the father of her Master, and the other was standing by a rather depressed looking girl in a wheelchair. She knew who they were, and judging by the look on the latter's face, so did he. And anger at what he did bubbled up.

"Anyway, how about I go first? The name's Astolfo, and I'm one of the 12 Paladins of Charlemagne the Great! I'll be your Rider comrade! Pleased to meet you!"

Ah, Astolfo. One of the famed paladins of the Matter of France, the counterpart to the tales surrounding her own reign. Arturia knew that Astolfo was, even in the tales, something of an oddball, but he was also very much a chivalrous knight, and Arturia was already gladdened, his eccentricities aside.

"So, what's your name?" Astolfo asked, skipping over to the man standing by the girl in the wheelchair. He was a tall man with tanned skin, white hair and silver eyes, dressed in a black bodysuit with a red mantle.

The man met Arturia's eyes, and he seemed to indicate, with said eyes, _We'll talk later_. Not that she was sure she had anything to say to him. Out loud, he said, "You would not know my name, save that I share it with an infamous man in Magus history. Call me EMIYA."

"As in the Magus Killer?" Darnic asked, frowning.

"I'm no blood relative of his," EMIYA responded truthfully. Arturia knew that Shirou had been adopted by Kiritsugu. He took the pendant that lay around his Master's neck, and nodded. "You got this from Rin Tohsaka, didn't you?"

"How did you know?" the girl asked.

"It's a long story, and I believe introductions haven't been finished yet," EMIYA said.

"Oh, right! And what about you, big guy?" Astolfo asked said towering mountain of muscle.

The man standing next to him, with a messy mop of dark hair and hazel eyes, replied, "He can't talk, but his true name is Heracles, the famous hero of Greek myth."

"Cool! We've got Heracles on our side!" Astolfo then skipped over to Arturia, and cocked his head to the side. "Hmm, do I know you?"

"We doubtlessly know of each other by reputation, Sir Astolfo, though I do not believe we have ever met in life. I am Arturia Pendragon, better known to history as Arthur, King of the Britons!"

"Whoa! So King Arthur was actually a girl? I mean, seriously, my mind is totally blown!" Astolfo exclaimed. "This is gonna be great!"

"King Arthur," Vlad called from where he was perched on the throne. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, regardless of your gender. I admire how you did much to defend Britain, just as I defended Wallachia. You have my respect, and indeed, my envy."

"Thank you, Voivode Vlad," Arturia said, with a nod. "I am honoured by your praise."

"Tis honest praise, Arturia Pendragon," Vlad said. "Indeed, I find you truly admirable, for you defended Britain without having to resort to the tactics that made me infamous as Vlad Tepes."

Arturia was struck by the sincerity in the man's words. She knew he didn't quite regret using impalement and the like in order to keep his subjects and enemies in line, but that he had to resort to such tactics in the first place. She was struck by the differences between this man and the other fellow kings she had fought during her Grail Wars. Gilgamesh was an arrogant egotist who could back up his boasts with his power, but saw nothing in the world to love, save as possessions. His sole friend was the beastman Enkidu. Iskandar, Alexander the Great, was a better king than her in some regards, given how much loyalty he inspired in his subjects, but he was also rapacious, and tended to believe his own way of kingship was the only way, caring little for his immediate legacy, only for glory and greatness. True, he was also a valorous and good man, she felt, but his appetites and attitude, especially towards her, left much to be desired. At least he meant well, unlike Gilgamesh, or Kiritsugu, who had also demeaned her ideas of heroism and kingship.

But despite the differences in their reputations, Arturia had to admit to feeling more kinship with Vlad the Impaler than Iskandar and Gilgamesh already. True, Vlad had been responsible for acts of cruelty Arturia would never condone, and that certainly meant she couldn't truly become friends. But she also knew he had similar ideals of kingship, at least where the duty to defend one's country came in. There was a certain mutual respect there.

Still, there was something bugging at her mind. The contamination that had tainted the Grail, the Avenger Servant the von Einzberns had summoned, something she only learned shortly before the end of the previous Grail War, thanks to Gilgamesh's bragging. She needed to speak to Darnic as soon as possible, and see whether Avenger would be of concern here.

She noted the various Masters, most dressed in variations on a white militaristic uniform, though her own Master and his father (given the resemblance, save for the eyes and demeanour) were the exceptions, dressed in somewhat more formal robes in red and gold, with a distinctive coat of arms with a stag on it. Her Master had messy dark hair and green eyes, so much like her own. His father had glasses and hazel eyes. But their demeanours contrasted more. Both were confident, but with the elder, it bordered on arrogance, while the boy looked more excited…and even a little anxious.

Near her, the Master of Astolfo was a rather sadistic-looking woman with silver hair who reminded her of Gilles de Rais and his Master, even though she had never met the latter. She was certainly looking at Astolfo with lust in her eyes. The girl who seemed to be the Master of EMIYA was quite pretty, with long tresses of brown hair, with only her wheelchair-bound state marring this. She certainly had something about her that reminded her of Rin, the same confidence…but also a slight anxiety that she worked hard to conceal, due to a responsibility thrust upon her shoulders.

Arturia cleared her throat. "Pardon my interruption, but what of Caster and Assassin?"

"Caster is busy with his Master, working on creating golems for our army," Darnic explained. "As for Assassin…a wizard working for Clock Tower managed to intercept Hyouma Sagara during the summoning. The only other witness is under the protection of Kiritsugu Emiya, and while it has been some time since he worked as the Magus Killer, I would rather not risk our people in an open attack on Emiya and his lover, not when we are focused on this endeavour. This means that the Red Faction now has two Assassins, though this is only a minor setback for a number of reasons. The first is that, amongst our Servants, we have you and Heracles. The second is that we possess the Greater Grail. The third is that Sagara insisted on choosing Jack the Ripper as an Assassin, whose parameters are unknown, but given that Assassins tend to have less combat power, focusing on attacking Masters rather than Servants…"

"I understand. Also, once we are finished with this, I would like to speak to you and anyone concerned with the Greater Grail on an important matter."

Darnic frowned, before nodding. "Very well. Now, to business…"

* * *

His declaration was bombastic, bluntly, and Arturia thought him an egomaniac. However, she needed to check to make sure that Avenger was not in the Grail. She didn't like the way that either her Master's father, one Lord James Potter, or the silver-haired woman she noted earlier, Celenike, looked at her. Her Master accompanied her to a luxurious lounge room, where Vlad was poured wine by his Master, and a Homunculus served up tea for herself and her Master. "So, what was this matter you wished to speak of, Arturia Pendragon?" Darnic asked.

Arturia gathered herself, before she said, "As you well know, the Throne of Heroes exists outside of normal space and time. In this world, there have only been three Holy Grail Wars fought in Fuyuki…but I have fought in the Fourth and the Fifth." Taking a sip of tea, and watching their reactions, she then added, "I am also aware that the von Einzberns, during the Third Holy Grail War, summoned an atypical Servant, outside the usual seven classes."

"I am well aware of that," Darnic said. "They summoned Ruler."

"Ruler?" Arturia asked. "Not Avenger?"

Darnic frowned. "Avenger? Ah, yes. I managed to acquire notes the von Einzberns made on the various Servant classes, as well as correspondence regarding which Servant they intended to summon for the Holy Grail War. At least one faction within their family wished to summon Angra Mainyu as an Avenger. A ridiculous conceit, considering that Angra Mainyu is a deity, not a man or demigod. And yet, you seem unsurprised."

"In my timeline, they succeeded. Apparently Angra Mainyu was a weak Servant that perished, but due to various circumstances, tainted the Grail, to the point that a wish upon it would endanger the world. If they summoned Ruler, perhaps this taint is not of concern."

"It wouldn't be. A Ruler Servant must be a saint of some sort, and is normally meant to act as an impartial referee in a Great Holy Grail War such as we are going through." Darnic peered at Arturia. "I thought Heroic Spirits normally did not remember events between summonings."

"I am unique in many regards, due to the circumstances involved. I cannot Astralize either," Arturia said.

"That's fine, we've taken the liberty of providing quarters for Servants to rest in should they wish to do so," her Master, Charles Potter, said. "We can even supply clothing if you wish. To be honest, I'm quite awestruck that you're King Arthur. I just thought you were going to be like…well, they did a bearded guy in Monty Python, and then there were all those films and TV shows. Did you fight any of the other Servants here?"

"I fought Heracles as Berserker, as well as EMIYA. He can confirm my words, I am sure. Of course, I know a number of Heroic Spirits from my previous experiences in the Grail Wars, as well as my time as the King of the Britons. Should a Knight of Camelot appear, then I would be able to recognise them…most of the time," she added, remembering with a grimace Lancelot as Berserker, whom she couldn't recognise at first, partly due to his Noble Phantasm.

"Which Servants did you fight, out of curiosity?" Vlad asked.

"I didn't know the identities of all of them in the Fifth Holy Grail War. However, in the prior one, I faced Diarmuid of the Love Spot as Lancer, Gilgamesh of Uruk as Archer, Gilles de Rais as Caster, Iskandar as Rider, Sir Lancelot as Berserker, and the Hundred-Faced Hassan as Assassin. In my previous Grail War, I faced Cú Chulainn as Lancer, Medea of Colchis as Caster, and Kojiro Sasaki as an irregular Assassin. I never discerned the identity of Rider, though she drank blood like a Dead Apostle, and used a Noble Phantasm capable of draining mana from an entire building's worth of people. Given her blindfold, though, I actually suspect she had Mystic Eyes that those sealed."

"A Gorgon, perhaps," Darnic mused. "Pegasus emerged from the severed stump of Medusa's head after Perseus relieved her of it, so maybe she was Rider."

"That is certainly possible," Arturia agreed.

"Thank you, Arturia Pendragon," Darnic said. "You have been most helpful. Rest assured, I have been monitoring the Greater Grail with the best Magi I can obtain the services of for decades, and I have been having Avicebron analyse it as well. I am almost entirely certain that the Greater Grail has not been tainted. If that is all…"

"Actually, I would like to ask you one last question," Vlad said, looking into Arturia's eyes. "What wish do you desire from the Grail?"

Arturia frowned in thought. Truth be told, she wasn't sure she had one anymore. "Back in the Fourth Holy Grail War, I wished to redo my reign, to correct the mistakes I made, to ensure those who sacrificed their lives for me wouldn't have to do so. Iskandar's words and Lancelot revealing himself showed that to be folly, and I changed my wish to demanding someone else take my place as King, for I believed myself utterly unworthy of the role. Now, in truth, my desires are not so clear. And yet, I was summoned."

"I understand, Arturia. I certainly am tempted to redo my reign. Then again, my current wish is an admittedly selfish one, to undo the myth that surrounded me, one that painted me as a Dead Apostle, a vampire, the libel that spread like the Black Death itself when Bram Stoker wrote his thrice-cursed book. I find that disgusting, appalling. It is one thing to be considered a monster in human form because one did what one needed to do to keep my country safe, and my enemies in line. It is another to have a falsehood painted on me, to be considered a vampire, and having to live with such a taint on one's reputation for the rest of my life. However, never believe yourself to be unworthy as king. Faults or not, you have done such a superlative job that you are considered one of the finest kings to ever grace any land."

"You flatter me, Voivode Vlad," Arturia said.

"I praise you, as one monarch to another. Even your gender, despite my initial surprise, means little. In any case, I'd suggest that you make yourself at home. Your Master will show you to your assigned quarters."

Arturia nodded. "I thank you."

* * *

Soon, she was being led down the corridor by Charles Potter, who was smiling. "You know, I never expected King Arthur was a young woman. Though you seemed so sad when you spoke about your past. Anyway…I'll show you to your room. You and that EMIYA guy have them next door to those I share with Fiore, my fiancée."

"The Master of Archer?" Arturia asked.

"Yeah. Darnic arranged the marriage, though we'd been friends beforehand after we were forced to flee here," Charles said, grimacing. "…I was the one who stopped Voldemort, and yet, they treat me like a villain, because my traitor of a mother didn't like the fact we used a decoy. And she made up all sorts of lies about Amortentia! My father would never have done that!"

Arturia felt that he was protesting a little hard. "Decoy?"

"A Homunculus," Charles said dismissively. "She cared more for a _doll_ than her _real_ son. So did Moony and Padfoot. That's why we've got him captive. I intend to show him that he made a mistake, choosing the doll over me."

Arturia frowned. Homunculus or not, Irisviel was one of the most human people she ever knew, more than her husband and Arturia's then-Master, Kiritsugu Emiya. And for all her issues with Mordred, her heritage as a Homunculus born from her seed (when Merlin turned her into a man briefly) and her half-sister Morgan's own eggs was not one of them. Charles was pleasant enough, but this subject seemed rather disturbing.

**CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, the Black Faction's Servants have been summoned, and Arturia gets some screentime. I intended for Charles to have more screentime, true, but I wanted to showcase Arturia. And yes, this is the Arturia from the ****_Unlimited Blade Works_**** route of ****_Fate/Stay Night_****. I'm not the first author to have Arturia in the events of ****_Fate/Apocrypha_****, let alone one having memories of a past Grail War (my personal favourite of these is Trick N Zwei's ****_Apocryphal Variance_****).**

**That being said, Arturia's loyalties are only superficially going to be to the Black Faction. In truth, her loyalties are mostly to her current Master, and when she learns of Yggdmillennia's deeds, she won't be happy. This will also change things around with Sieg a little…not that he will be called Sieg in this story…**

**Charles was meant to have more screentime, but that didn't eventuate. I wanted to show something of his nature. True, he's showing some rather poor attitudes towards his mother and 'brother' (and I rewrote that last scene to show why), but that will change over the course of the story, with the catalyst being what he learns about Padfoot…**

**Anyway, I've decided to hold off on posting the next chapters for now. I've written four more, with a fifth partway done. But I'm gratified at the response this story has gotten.**

**Review-answering time! A number of reviewers have told me about what 'Mikon!' means, basically being a portmanteau of the Japanese word 'miko' or shrine maiden, and the Japanese onomatopoeia for a fox's bark, 'kon'. Thanks for clearing this up. However, I'm still sticking to the translation used for ****_Fate/Extella_**** at the moment, if only because saying "Heavens me!" is very Tamamo-like.**

**Also, regarding Achilles' weak point…would his heels be vulnerable to, say, splash damage from an explosion? If so, problem solved: all EMIYA needs to do is fire one of his Noble Phantasm arrows between Achilles' legs (not THAT way), and let a big bang do the rest…that came out wrong. Anyway, if events come out the right way, it might be a moot point, and invincibility might not mean jack if he gets immobilised…**

**EeeveeFan13****: Yeah. Jackie is an interesting concept and she is adorable when she isn't being macabre, but the character designer should be shot.**

**framfrit****: EMIYA will still give some advice to them. Remember, he's filled with regrets from his life, including where his friends, family (Illya) and Arturia are concerned. He could warn both Fiore and Caules where the path they're going down will end up, as well as get Charles to realise what his father truly is like.**

**Iskander Mandoraekon****: Charles is perfectly fine with Fiore. The two of them genuinely love each other. Indeed, that's one of his best points: he truly and genuinely loves Fiore, having been friends with her for some time. James also approves of the marriage. Charles doesn't care that Fiore is a cripple. The main point of contention between them is how they treat Caules: Charles is considerably more friendly with Caules and less strict than Fiore is, even if Fiore does it out of sisterly concern (if anything, Charles sees Caules as how his brother should have been: obedient and meek, true, but useful and willing to speak up if necessary). Charles' worst flaws are his vindictiveness, his sense of entitlement, and his grudge against the wizards for turning on him, despite him being the one to stop Voldemort, and he blames his mother (who blew the lid off the whole thing) and his brother (whom his mother chose to support instead of him) for this. His grudge has only been worsened by James poisoning his mind.**

**1\. This was actually a reference to the first book in the Vorkosigan Saga series by Lois McMaster Bujold, a science fiction book series I highly recommend.**


	7. Chapter 6: Suspicion and Surprise Attack

**CHAPTER 6:**

**SUSPICION AND SURPRISE ATTACK**

"You've met this priest's brother, right? Kirei Kotomine? What's he like?"

Kairi's question caused Harry to frown as they walked down the streets of the Romanian town. "Kirei? Well…there was something…twisted about him. There was something about him that seemed psychopathic, and yet, he tried to deny that part of him. That being said, he's a brilliant Enforcer, and he taught me a few things about combat, both armed and unarmed. I use a bit of the Bajiquan variant he and his father used in my own hand-to-hand attacks, though I'm nowhere near as good as they were. Kirei never really spoke much about Shirou. Apparently Shirou avoided him. I find it odd that he shares the same name as that kid Kiritsugu adopted, and that photo looks not dissimilar, if he had white hair and a tan. Maybe a relative. But I'll be honest, I'm not sure I can trust him."

"And yet you trust me?" Kairi asked.

"You may be a mercenary, and do dubious things, but you don't stab your allies in the back unless they do so first. You've actually got a code, more even than Kiritsugu did," Harry said. "Besides, we have Jackie keeping an eye on you when she isn't scouting around. Anyway, isn't our main goal dealing with Yggdmillennia and taking back the Greater Grail?"

The grizzled mercenary necromancer nodded. The three Servants, albeit reluctantly (at least for Jackie and Tamamo), were Astralized. "Speaking of which…Jackie's scouting ahead. She can sense the presence of at least one Servant at the church, but she's worried about the Bounded Fields in place," Lily said. "I can understand anti-scrying wards, given that we're inside enemy territory, amongst everything else, but Jackie is worried. They have been erected by a Servant, not by a Magus or an Executor."

"Right…well, won't you walk into my parlour, said the spider to the fly?" Kairi remarked.

They soon came to the church, whereupon they entered, to find a young man in priestly garb kneeling at the altar. His white hair stuck up in a messy spikey spray that seemed like an anime or video game cliché, contrasting with his tanned skin. He got up and turned to face them as they entered. "Greetings," he said politely. "Kairi Sisigou, and Lily and Harry Evans, I presume? I am Shirou Kotomine, and I bid you welcome."

Mordred suddenly Deastralized next to Kairi, placing a hand in front of him protectively. Tamamo appeared too, peering at Shirou suspiciously. Jackie then appeared, perched on Lily's shoulders, her golden eyes narrowed at Shirou.

"I've met your brother, Kirei," Harry said. "You were adopted into the Kotomine family, weren't you?"

"Yes. My adoptive father, Risei, was a kind man, a good man. Kirei and I…I find it hard to be with him for various reasons. As your Servants have presented themselves to me, my own will come forth."

A woman materialised, dressed in an elegant black dress that matched her raven black hair. Her face was utterly beautiful, but there was a vaguely cruel aspect to that beauty, not helped by the golden eyes or pointed ears. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Servant Assassin, Semiramis."

"The Queen of Assyria," Lily said. "Daughter of the sea goddess Derketo of Ascalon." Harry knew his mother's hackles had been raised just like those of their Servants.

"My reputation precedes me, it seems," Semiramis said.

The following meeting was tense, mostly on their side, as Shirou Kotomine and his Servant remained maddeningly calm. However, Harry's own instincts were screaming that these two were not to be trusted, not wholly. Shirou was actually quite polite and affable, and Harry knew it was genuine, like there was no truly bad feelings…and yet, there was the feeling of deception. Semiramis was equally affable and polite, but it was certainly more of a façade in her case.

So he was glad when Kairi said, in response to Shirou's offer to meet the other Masters, "Actually, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather work independently. We'll share intelligence, and we will be allies, but we're setting up our own base of operations."

As they headed for the doors, their respective Servants Astralizing, Semiramis said, an irritated scowl on her face, "We're deep in enemy territory. There is strength in numbers, and yet you intend to act independently?"

"Yes, exactly." And with that, Kairi closed the door behind him.

As they went down the streets of the town, Harry asked Tamamo, through their link, "_Can you keep an eye out for any surprise attacks, just in case?_"

"_Of course, Husband! Admittedly, I would be a little less of use in the field in that regard than Jackie or Mordred_," Tamamo said. "_However, I got a good sense of the inside of that church, and Jackie was right. That was laid down by a Servant. I couldn't tell whether it was that harlot Semiramis, but something about her has the air of my class. She may have skills more suited to a Caster than an Assassin. What's more, my nose picked up a whiff of something from deeper in that church. Not enough to affect us, thankfully…but it was a particular potion used to control minds. It seems that the priest and his Servant aren't to be trusted after all._"

"_Right. Any other thoughts?_"

"…_Just something. I think the priest is actually the more dangerous of the two. I saw your memories through the Dream Cycle…and something about him reminds me a little of Dumbledore. Like only his way is the right way, a paragon of self-righteousness who would do anything to fulfil his Greater Good._"

Harry, now that he came to think about it, had to agree. There was something not dissimilar. "_So he's got his own agenda as a Master. Terrific. Kairi made the right call in getting us out of there._"

* * *

They made a stop, on Mordred's request, to get clothes for her. It was, she admitted, because she wanted to remain in a physical body, and a suit of armour would attract attention from the locals, as would what she wore underneath. And while she wore rather daring clothes, it was still modern, and seemed rather like a particularly rebellious teenager would wear. A tube top and daisy duke jean shorts, along with a red leather jacket.

Tamamo was also Deastralized and in 'civilian' clothes. She went for simple elegance, a blue skirt that went down to her knees, and a black shirt. Her ears and tail were hidden by an illusion of her own devising. Jackie had been sent ahead by Lily to scout, as they were currently walking through enemy territory. "So," Mordred said to Tamamo, "you reckon that priest was like the old goat who fucked over your Master's life? Weird. I was more wary of that Assassin bitch. She seemed more like that bitch I call my mother. And she seemed more like a Caster than an Assassin."

"Maybe she has skills not unlike a Caster," Tamamo mused. "You said, for example, you have a Riding Skill."

"Got it. And you caught a whiff of something bad. Well, I don't like you, fox girl, but I'll trust your instincts, then. Just trust mine as well. If we're right, then they're both bad news," Mordred said. "Plus, I like your Master. He's like me, a Homunculus fucked over by our fathers."

"Do you really think Shirou has the other Masters under his control, Caster?" Lily asked.

"I'd bet every one of my tails on it," Tamamo said.

"Hmm. Semiramis was a poisoner, and she may also have been a potioneer, and if she has Caster-like abilities, she may also know mind control magic."

"It's something to keep in mind," Kairi said. "Lily, I reckon after this is said and done, you should send Assassin to track down Ruler, warn him or her that they're about to step into what could be a massive clusterfuck. I don't like the thought of some long-dead saint peering over my shoulder at what I'm doing, but if they were chosen by the Grail to be impartial, I'd trust them enough not to fuck us over."

"Got it." Quieter, Lily added, "Jackie's spotted the enemy. A group of Homunculi and golems. The former seem to be battle Homunculi, no skills or anything other than battle. The golems…well, they're massive, bigger than anything most Magi can create."

"Right. When they attack, Saber, Caster, you go for the golems. Work together. We'll deal with the Homunculi," Kairi said.

"Got it," Mordred said, before looking at Harry. "Hey, Harry, you gonna be all right? I mean, you said you were a Homunculus created by these wankers, right?"

"Yeah…but they're not like me. They're more like robots, created for a specific purpose," Harry said quietly, fishing out a pistol and his wand. They then halted, a group of Homunculi in front of them, a few golems behind. He steeled himself for what was to happen. They were just robots, these Homunculi, only capable of obeying their masters. His eyes met those of Tamamo, and they nodded. She changed back to her normal form, an elaborate mirror floating around her, a bunch of talismans in her hand.

"Heavens me, what an appalling red carpet," she pouted. "Not very fitting to one of my stature at all."

"Ha!" Mordred said, slapping Kairi's back, and making him stumble with the strength coming from her deceptively slight body. "So Caster and I weren't the only decoys? You guys were too? You're fucking nuts, Master, but I love it!" Her feral grin showed the truth of her words.

"Stick to the plan. Work together to deal with the golems. We'll deal with the Homunculi."

"Got it, Master," Mordred said, just before a golem tried to stomp on her. The key word being tried. She held it up with a single arm, now clad in her armour, and then went into action.

Even as he, Kairi and Lily fought a series of running battles with the Homunculi, Harry had to admire the strength, speed and grace of Mordred and Tamamo. Despite their differing classes and earlier altercations, they worked surprisingly well together. So too did Kairi, Lily and Harry. Kairi used a shotgun loaded either with normal ammo, or fingertips enchanted to basically be a form of Gandr curse as gun ammo. He even tossed one of the heart grenades at one point to deal with some persistent Homunculi archers attacking them. Harry and Lily, meanwhile, used a combination of pistols and wand spells. Jackie, meanwhile, giggled macabrely as she stabbed the Homunculi she targeted, targeting the brain for as swift deaths as possible, on Lily's instructions.

Soon, all that was left was Mordred, Tamamo and a couple of golems. Tamamo froze one, and Mordred picked another up, and with a snarl of "Have a nice trip!" she hurled it into the frozen one, shattering them both.

Tamamo pouted, brushing off her kimono. "Now I'm all dusty. Thank you very much, brat."

"Fuck you and the horse you rode in on, fox bitch," Mordred said with an unrepentant grin. "Though I have to say, you weren't half bad."

Tamamo scowled. "And you were ridiculous, throwing your sword like that. What if you'd lost it?"

Before their argument could start up anew, Jackie dropped down from a nearby rooftop, covered in blood, looking cheerful. "We stopped the mean people!" she chirped.

"You killed them quickly, Jackie?" Lily asked. "They didn't suffer?"

"No…no, we just did it like you asked, Mummy," Jackie said, before she looked at him. "Why do you look so sad?"

"…Because they were sent here to die," Harry said grimly, walking over to one of the bodies, still moving. "Yggdmillennia didn't care about their lives. They were just disposable weapons." As the young Homunculus woman in the Yggdmillennia uniform looked up at him with pleading eyes, he said, "I'm sorry." He then put a bullet between her eyes. "Killing in self-defence isn't wrong…but you take from them everything they were, are, or could be. Death is forever, unless you happen to become a Heroic Spirit."

"And yet, you're gonna kill James Potter," Kairi pointed out.

"Yes. James Potter viewed me in the same way Yggdmillennia viewed these guys. Hell, I view these guys as robots…but I don't want to make them suffer. James, though…" His hand raised, and touched his burn scars, remembering the day James Potter burned them. They were now even more distinctive than the now-faded lightning bolt scar. "He made my life feel utterly worthless, disposable, save as a meatshield for the real Boy Who Lived."

"So, why aren't you angry at your brother?" Mordred asked, sword over her shoulder.

"Oh, I am angry…but he wasn't the one who made me as a decoy," Harry said. "I'm still gonna give him a beatdown he'll never forget, and if he rubs me the wrong way…sorry, Mum, but I'm considering filicide."

Lily sighed quietly. It was not something a mother wanted to hear from their child, Harry knew. "Harry, I think Charles can be turned around."

"Bollocks. Actually, in a perverse way, I envy you, Saber."

"Why?"

"Well, didn't your father make you a trusted knight before things went south?" Harry asked, looking back at Mordred. "He may not have cared about you as a son, but he cared about you like a knight, right?"

Mordred's mouth opened to make an angry retort, only to shut it, Harry seeing the gears turning in her head. "Yeah, well…by what you've said, your father sets the bar pretty low, right?" Mordred conceded with a shrug. "Maybe we should call ourselves the Shitty Fathers Faction?"

"Hey, hey, no need for that. My father was a good guy, and I like to think I…_was_ a good father," Kairi said, a melancholy look coming over his face, as he took some shards from a shattered golem off the ground. "Anyway, let's go and set up camp…"

**CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, there you have it. The fight in episode 2, but with more Servants. Oh, and stronger suspicions about Shirou Kotomine. Next chapter, Arturia and Charles intercept Karna while he's trying to off Jeanne, only, they have a stowaway in the form of an adorable little serial killer…**

**It's worth pointing out that I've watched the entire first half of the series. I'm actually going to stop writing this story after a certain point (probably a chapter or two after Sieg's escape), so that I can write the story properly after watching the second half. I know the general aspects of what happens next due to online research, but as I want to avoid screwing up some of the details, I've decided to halt the story after that point until I can watch the next half of the series.**

**It's also worth pointing out that a few reviewers have claimed to have found plot holes, holes that I have plugged in the plot shortly before they reviewed. This admittedly doesn't come out until later chapters, but still…oh, and EMIYA appearing is NOT some big game plan of Alaya's. It's just the Grail being a dick, Rin being perhaps too nice to Fiore, and EMIYA's luck being abysmal, as usual.**

**Review-answering time! ****Kithrin****: A little, but somewhat inadvertently. He's unaware of Arturia's relationship with Irisviel, and would assume that she views Homunculi the same way he does, especially given Mordred's origins.**

**waytodawn0****: We'll have elements of that in Chapter 10, where we have him showing himself to be basically drinking his father's Kool Aid, so to speak. However, he is plagued by doubt, especially leaving Padfoot in Azkaban in the first place, which he thinks is too cruel, even for his mother and brother, whom he hates. While I doubt they'll become even neutral acquaintances, they'll lose the edge that makes them enemies.**

**DalkonCledwin****: Well, let's just say she has an E or D-ranked Item Construction for this fic and leave it at that.**

**OBSERVER01****: You're right. I thought Arturia would not think highly of his methods, but she could respect his motivation, to protect his country. And I daresay that if he was summoned instead of Diarmuid during the events of ****_Fate/Zero_****…well, for one thing, I think Kayneth would die due to his arrogance earlier (impaled by Vlad, I am sure), and Sola-Ui would have to step up to the plate…and probably do better than her fiancée. But yes, I think Vlad would take Arturia's side during the little verbal war, or at least say that she isn't wrong, she just needs to modify her way of thinking.**

**Guest**** (regarding Mordred's scream of rage from ****_Knight of Betrayal and Taiga Cub_****): Sorry, not going to happen…though if I can find a way to slot it in, I will…**

**Guest**** (regarding the Weasleys, Enkidu, and other things): Ginny did turn on Harry, with a rather violent argument about how he wasn't the real Boy Who Lived. The Twins were conflicted, but eventually stayed by Harry's side, partly due to Sirius and Remus. Ironically, Molly and Arthur, despite how many bashing fics portray them, actually stuck by Harry's side…but their attempts to have Harry reconcile with Ron and Ginny after all was said and done got a bit too pushy, and the only Weasleys he has time for these days are the Twins. He doesn't hate Molly and Arthur (save for the former's pushiness, especially in trying to get him to reconcile), but he detests Ron and Ginny. He basically had enough with Ron being a fairweather friend (not malicious, just stupid), and while he and Ginny weren't an item yet, the fact that she began idolising Charles revolted him. Keep in mind, this version of Harry is in the darker shades of grey. He gives second chances, but not many, especially not after what happened. As for Enkidu…thank you. I'm not sure how well EMIYA can replicate divine constructs like those chains, but it's something to keep in mind. **

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	8. Chapter 7: Ambush on Ruler

**CHAPTER 7:**

**AMBUSH ON RULER**

It was not long afterwards that they were sent to scout about. They soon found something interesting: a car travelling along a highway, and with a burst of speed, they leapt onto it, managing to avoid alerting those within to their presence. To any normal human, staying on the back of a car would be extremely difficult, and effectively surfing on it as it drove down the highway would be, if not impossible, then appallingly dangerous.

But they were a Servant. They were Assassin. They were Jack the Ripper. And this was too easy.

The gestalt entity known as Jackie had a somewhat twisted mindset. One couldn't call it sociopathic or psychopathic, only that they were a child, a collective of children's souls who never lived long enough to develop much of a moral compass, some dying before they ever left the womb, others dying before they even had much of a life. Jackie was, effectively, the anthropomorphic personification of the dark underbelly of Victorian England, a child who never had a childhood, who had never been warm, or enjoyed themselves in play, or been loved. The Whitechapel Murders, then, were not out of any true malice, but rather, an alien, twisted intention to go back into the womb.

Not that Jackie realised that what they were doing was wrong. To them, killing was as natural as breathing, as they had been born of death, the deaths of countless children. But…they never had true parents either. So when the bad man (Mummy called him Hyouma Sagara) was going to kill that woman, the one who could have been Mummy, and Lily Mummy intervened, Jackie acted. They could feel the nature of mana, and Mummy's felt warm. Then again, they would have killed the bad man anyway if Lily Mummy wasn't there, and got Other Mummy to give them hearts from Magi instead. They'd be really yummy!

Mummy was really smart. She began teaching them all sorts of things, though Jackie was a bit puzzled about why she didn't like them killing. They would have thought that a grown-up thing, but grown-ups seemed to kill each other all the time. Maybe she wanted them to be a nice girl, then? They didn't mind wearing new clothes to fight in, though. As long as they could move fast in them, and they were warm, they didn't mind.

Mummy also cared, more than any of the other mothers many of the souls that made up Jackie's gestalt knew. She kept them warm, she even gave them food. She hugged them and wished them good night. She sang them songs (one of them, she intended to use herself when she _played_). She was afraid of them…but she never would have to be. As long as her warmth never ended, she would never have anything to fear from Jack the Ripper.

And as long as her allies didn't do anything, neither would they. Jackie had to admit, they liked Big Brother Harry and Miss Tamamo. Harry, after the initial shock, treated them like a big brother would. They showed concern and affection…and he was sad, even after he killed those Homunculi. Miss Tamamo was also nice, even pretty. And maybe those two could be married! Miss Tamamo already called Harry Husband. Maybe Jackie could be the flower girl! Yay!

And that man, Kairi, he seemed mean, and yet, there was something to him that was good. And there was Mordred. Cute, but brash and angry, and yet so strong! Really good Big Sis material! A shame that she would have to die for Jackie to get their wish, but…Jackie was thinking, maybe all they really needed was a family. Maybe they could wish for a family (including Big Sis Mordred and Tamamo!) that would love them lots and lots forever and ever! Yay! And they would only hurt mean people.

In their Astralized state, they phased through the car's window, and sat on the seat, making sure not to alert the lady driving. Hmm, she looked very much like Mordred did. Was this Mordred's father? She looked more like Mordred's sister. And that boy…he looked so much like Big Brother Harry, only without the glasses or the burns. Ah, this must be Charles.

Even though they felt anger on Big Brother Harry and Possible Big Sis Mordred's behalf, they restrained themselves. Big Brother Harry wasn't sure whether he wanted to kill Charles, and Possible Big Sis Mordred might be annoyed if Jackie killed their father before they got a chance. So, instead, they listened, and waited.

"…But what if Ruler does not wish to come with us?" Mordred's father asked, her voice calm and collected, even as she drove the car. She sounded nice, despite what Jackie had heard about her. And she looked very pretty, like Big Sis Mordred. "If a Ruler Servant is meant to maintain a neutral position…"

"Lord Darnic said not to press the issue," Charles said. "Ruler Servants can apparently take control over other Servants, and if we try to attack her, there might be trouble. Though I wonder why she wasn't summoned here."

"I cannot say. This Grail War is shaping up to be a somewhat atypical one, just like the previous ones." At that, she seemed sad.

Charles eventually said, "So…you saw her in that feed from the surveillance golem, right? Before Lord Darnic sent us off? She's there, along with…_him_."

"Yes. Your father seemed set to order Berserker to go and attack them before Darnic and Lancer forbade it. In truth…I'm not sure what to feel seeing my child again. I feel so many things, including anger towards the one who brought my kingdom down. But…Mordred was but a tool, wielded by my half-sister. The fault was that of many people, including myself, for I held myself to too high a standard. As a Servant of the Black Faction, I will have to face her in battle. But…if anything else, I want to tell her that I am sorry. She may lack the capacity to rule, but she still deserved to know a parent's love."

_So did we_, Jackie thought darkly. _But we never got it, until now_.

"I don't feel the same way about _him_."

"But he's your brother, and the woman is your mother."

"They turned on us! She chose the doll over her own son! Me! Traitors are bad enough normally, but when they're your own blood, it's even worse! It must have been the case when you had Mordred turn on you!"

"Maybe. But…Charles, look!"

Jackie looked too, in time to see an explosion light up the night sky near a highway sign. A pair of figures appeared out of the smoke. One was a girl in armour, who looked a little like Saber of Black, but wielding a flagpole, of all things! The other was a man whose skin was as white as snow, with hair to match, dressed in golden armour, and wielding a lance. "Is that Lancer of Red?!" Charles yelped.

Jackie frowned, and sent back over their link, _Mummy_, _we've just been travelling with the Saber of Black and Charles Potter, and we think we've come across Lancer of Red and…well, is Ruler a girl?_

_Let me see through your eyes, Jackie_, came the voice of Mummy. Then, after they felt her presence linking to their senses, she said, _Jackie, if that really is Ruler he is attacking, then something's wrong. Let me listen in first. Then, if you can speak to Ruler alone, do so. I'll help you say the right things_.

Jackie nodded, as the car halted, and Charles and Saber of Black dashed out, Saber changing from that suit into a suit of armour. Saber of Black dashed in and attacked Lancer, forcing him away from his quarry. "So, you must be the Saber of the Black Faction?" the enemy Servant asked.

"Aye," Saber said. "By what right do you attack the Ruler of this Grail War?"

"Don't think I enjoy doing this, Saber," Lancer said. Jackie noticed his eyes were a brilliant blue, with slitted pupils, seemingly cold and reptilian. "My Master's orders were clear, and it is the role of we Servants to obey."

Jackie approached Ruler, who was also being approached by Charles. "Well, it seemed we got here in the nick of time. I wonder, though…is this the Red Faction's collective decision to attack Ruler, or just a single rogue Master trying to circumvent this Grail War?" Charles asked. "In any case, greetings, Ruler. I am Charles Potter, Master of Saber, and representative of Yggdmillennia."

"Greetings, Charles Potter. I am Jeanne d'Arc, the designated Ruler Servant of this Holy Grail War. For what reason did you seek me out?"

"Lord Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia has requested your presence at our base of operations. If you need to preserve your neutrality by refusing the invitation, he understands, but the invitation is there regardless."

"Thank you, Charles Potter, but I must decline your lord's request. As Ruler, my role is to observe the Holy Grail War and ensure the integrity of the ritual."

"…Very well. He will be disappointed, but I am sure he would understand. Saber, put paid to Lancer."

"So, you wish to cross blades? So be it. Know then, Saber, that I am Karna, son of Surya, the sun deity," Lancer of Red said. The words could have been a boast, but the tone was not.

"As a knight, I am bound to offer my name in exchange. I am Arturia Pendragon. Prepare yourself."

As the two Servants clashed, Charles looked over at Ruler. "Incidentally, Ruler, or can I call you Jeanne?"

"You may call me either, if you wish."

"Jeanne, then. The Red Faction, or rather, a wizard affiliated with the Red Faction, interfered with the summoning of our Assassin, and somehow took control of her."

"And you wish to know whether that contravenes the rules. It depends on the circumstances. But that can wait."

Jackie had to admit, the clash between Lancer of Red and Saber of Black was pretty cool. They resisted the temptation to Deastralize and start cheering, or breathing, "_Wow_…" They knew Mummy was in awe, and they felt a pang of jealousy that they weren't as strong or as cool as these two Servants. Assassins struck from the shadows, sneaking in and out of the darkness to fight. In their Astral form, Jackie pouted rather cutely.

Soon, however, as the rays of the sun peeked out from over the horizon, they broke off. "I see…so, the power of the King of Knights was not mere hyperbole," Karna said. "Unfortunately, while clashing during the day is fine by me, I'm sure the ones holding your leash are getting impatient. Still, it was an honour that my first fight was with you."

"And you too, Karna."

As the Lancer dissolved, despite Jeanne's angry admonition, Jackie knew the time was soon coming. They waited as Charles made one last plea for Jeanne to come with her, only for Jeanne to refuse. However, before they left, Arturia went over to Jeanne. "So, you are Jeanne d'Arc. It's a pleasure to meet you, at least."

"Likewise. Yet you seem troubled, King of Knights. Why?"

"I retain memories of my prior summonings. During my first Grail War…I was forced to face Gilles de Rais as a Caster, when he was in the throes of his madness, mistaking me for you. He idolised you so. Perhaps some time, we can speak under less fraught circumstances, for I do admire you and what you did for your country."

"Perhaps. And I am sorry about Gilles."

"You need not apologise for his actions, for they were his own, and I put an end to them myself," Arturia said. "Fare thee well, Maid of Orleans."

After they drove away, Jackie watched as Ruler began picking up her ruined luggage. As Ruler groaned in dismay, Jackie decided to make an appearance, throwing one of their knives at the golem birdy watching them. Ruler must have sensed that, for she whirled. "Where are you? Show yourself!"

Jackie obliged her, Deastralizing. "Don't worry, we're not here to hurt you. Unless you're mean to me. No, we were spying on the Black Faction for Mummy. Then we saw the mean Lancer attack you."

Ruler's eyes widened, and then narrowed in a way that Jackie didn't like. "Assassin of Black…Jack the Ripper."

"We're not an Assassin of Black, not anymore," Jackie said, cocking their head. "And Assassin of Red is a mean-looking hag called Semiramis. We don't trust her, and neither do Saber and Caster of Red. We came here to talk, Ruler, not to kill you."

"…You don't belong in this world," Ruler said.

Suddenly, there was a whipcrack of air near Jackie, and Mummy was there! Yay! "And yet, she's here. My lover is a werewolf, and yet, there are many people who say werewolves don't belong in the world."

Ruler looked over at him. "You are her Master then? A wizard as opposed to a Magus."

"I became her Master because she chose me over the Yggdmillennia Magus who intended to summon her, with the murder of a young woman who didn't deserve that fate. I was torn on whether to enter this Grail War, but I'm in it now. If Jackie survives, then I intend to give her a childhood and a life she was denied collectively. If you intend to do what I think you intend to do to her, then you do it over my dead body. Servant or not, I will try to stop you."

Ruler frowned, and then her amethyst eyes, so pretty, looked at Jackie. Whatever she found there seemed to have her nod in satisfaction. "Very well. I will allow this, as long as you do not allow Assassin to attack non-combatants. However, do you have any idea why a Servant of the Red Faction attacked me?"

"We don't know, but we have suspicions," Mummy said. "Our Servants didn't trust the Church overseer Shirou Kotomine, nor his Servant, Assassin of Red, Semiramis. In fact, Caster of Red smelled a mind control substance from afar while within his church, suggesting that he may have suborned the other Masters of the Red Faction, and Lancer's actions may very well have borne that out. For now, we are acting relatively independently of the Red Faction. However, we believe that the bounded fields erected at the church were done so by a Servant."

Ruler seemed to consider this, before nodding. "And what is your name, Master of Assassin?"

"Lily Evans."

"I see. Normally, I would have manifested myself within a body not dissimilar to other Servants. However, that process was interrupted somehow, and I was forced to…possess, for want of a better term, a girl by the name of Laeticia Delacroix, descended from my relatives. The process, before you ask, was entirely consensual, and her physical body is protected by my essence, protecting her from any damage done to my person. While you have not provided me with the answers I seek, you have certainly cleared up some of my confusion. I thank you."

"You're welcome. You don't need help getting to where you need to go?"

"No. Amongst other things, going with one faction or another would endanger my neutrality."

"Well…allow me to do this favour at least." And with that, Mummy repaired Ruler's suitcase and made all the clothes and things go into it. "Think of it as payment for meeting Jeanne d'Arc, as well as allowing me to keep Jackie. She's dear to me. I lost one child already, the one you just met. Charles was taken from me and his mind poisoned by his father. I hope to raise Jackie in a way like with my other son, Harry."

"Then I hope you succeed, Lily Evans. _Dominus vobiscum(__1)_."

Mummy handed over a pair of cards. "If you have access to a phone, call us if necessary. If there truly is something wrong with this Grail War, we'd be only too happy to help."

"_Merci_," Ruler said with a nod. Jackie knew, though, this would not be the last time they met Ruler. But would she be mean to them when they met next? There was something Jackie didn't like in Ruler's eyes when she looked at them. They would have to keep an eye on that one…

**CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, we've gotten into Jackie's headspace, and it's not a nice place to be. Still, probably better than canon. I actually based this on the latest chapter (as of writing this) of ****_The Third Faction_**** by TheMaster4444, which has quite a good chunk of it from Jackie's rather disturbing point of view, as well as the preview for the next chapter of ****_Fragments of Chaldea_****, which will apparently be Jackie-centric. I wanted to give a sort of middle ground, more or less, between Jackie's doubtlessly disturbing canon mindset (which TheMaster4444 wrote and their beta Draconic refined for ****_The Third Faction_****) and, well, the potential for her to become a decent person in the end, as shown in ****_Fragments of Chaldea_**** by GhostXavier, where she and Nursery Rhyme are adopted by Atalanta.**

**I have this notion that Jackie (something a lot of fanfic writers have and will go with) is, in the end, just a child, and if shown proper love and care, could develop into a much more moral entity. Yes, she's still a killer, but she'd go from an oblivious killer with a macabrely alien mindset to a relatively normal child, albeit one with more skills with knives than one would like. Aside from ****_Fragments of Chaldea_****, I'm also struck by a comparison to the megalomaniacal Omega from ****_Doctor Who_****.**

**For those unfamiliar with Omega, he was a stellar engineer from early Time Lord society who ended up being trapped in an anti-matter universe, and was desperate to escape. In his second story, ****_Arc of Infinity_**** (a mostly forgettable one, sadly, mostly notable for its villain, guest appearances by a pre-Sixth Doctor Colin Baker and Michael Gough, and lots of location filming in Amsterdam), Omega eventually acquires what he believes to be a stable normal matter body, based on the Doctor's. And while he promptly kills a man to steal his clothes, upon walking the streets of Amsterdam, he seems to just…****_enjoy_**** being alive once more. He actually joins a crowd listening to a calliope, and gets this wonderful, childish smile on his face…which makes the eventual decay of his body all the more heart-wrenching, considering that, if his body was stable, his insanity might have eventually abated.**

**Jackie, I feel, is the same in many regards. If she didn't have Reika as a Master, and had someone with more of a moral compass (to say nothing of mana supplies), I think she would improve gradually.**

**Also, you know how I mentioned songs Lily singing to Jackie? Well, that came about from an idea I had in discussion with Gabriel Herrol. You see, going back to ****_Doctor Who_****, there's an official audio drama called ****_Night Thoughts_****, featuring a serial killer who kills while whistling the nursery rhyme ****_Oranges and Lemons_****. I think that'd be an interesting conceit for Jackie to pick up on.**

**Review-answering time! ****Dragon Man 180****: The Jackie with fox ears idea is just adorable, and the interruption of the fight is hilarious. I might use them, but don't be disappointed if I don't.**

**1\. Latin for 'may the Lord be with you'. Given Jeanne's devotion, I thought it not inappropriate to have her say this in a well-meaning manner to Lily.**


	9. Chapter 8: Reminiscence

**CHAPTER 8:**

**REMINISCENCE**

Mordred cackled as she bounced up and down on the bed she had picked in the wizarding tent. "Okay, I take it back! I'm okay with staying in this mausoleum if we get to stay within this tent!"

"I keep on forgetting how BS wizarding magic can be at times," Kairi said, looking around. "And our Servants will still regenerate their energy?"

"Yes, we can," Tamamo sniffed, not enjoying the surroundings. True, it was luxurious by tent standards, being closer to a normal house in some regards, but she poked a bed dubiously. "Though I confess myself surprised, Moedred. You are royalty, and yet, you enjoy living in such diminished conditions?"

Mordred scowled. While Harry got along well enough with her, partly due to a couple of things in common (namely poor fathers and being Homunculi weapons), he didn't like the way she and Tamamo got along like cats and dogs. It reminded him of how Hermione and Ron used to fight.

He scowled to himself. Ron and his younger sister Ginny were not happy memories. He knew, intellectually, that they had joined the Charles Potter bandwagon out of stupidity rather than malice…but Ron's continued fairweather friend tendencies, and Ginny's rant about how Harry had lied to her about being the Boy Who Lived hurt, badly. Even when they apologised, even when he knew they were sincere…he told them where to shove their apologies. It had gotten to the point where he couldn't talk to Molly or Arthur because, even though they had supported him after Charles coming back, they had continually insisted on reconciling with their children. Fred and George were the only Weasleys he had any contact with on a regular basis.

"Oi, fox-bitch, stop callin' me that, or I'll lop off your tail! Anyway, you forget, the Knights of the Round Table often had to go out into the field. There's only so much luxury you can have in a tent. Anyway, I wasn't one for too much luxury. A good, soft bed's luxury enough for me! So stop whining."

Tamamo sniffed. "Well, excuse me for having high standards. I am tolerating this because this is a necessity, and certainly better than just rolling out bed rolls in a filthy mausoleum filled with old bones."

"Yeah, well, not all of us could be some Emperor's bit of tail," Mordred said with a smirk at Tamamo, who fumed, before Mordred turned her attention to Harry and Kairi. "Got any booze?"

"You're underage," Harry said flatly.

"Oi, I come from a time where there's no such thing as a legal drinking age. Age of consent is one thing, that's definitely a good thing, but you have to be old enough to drink booze? Fucking hell, the future is _boring!_" Mordred said, throwing her arms into the air. "Anyway, given what happened last night…well, we need to talk about that. They waited until we were well into the middle of town before attacking, and I reckon they did that deliberately."

"They're trying to prevent us from using our Noble Phantasms," Tamamo said. "Now, I'm able to vary my power, so if I needed to, I could avoid collateral damage, but I'm not so sure Moedred can do the same. Ah, performance issues, happens to the best of us."

"Shut your mouth, fox-bitch!" Mordred snapped, before she sighed. "But she is right. I'm not gonna endanger subjects like that," Mordred added.

"Fine, we'll try to pay more attention to collateral damage, Your Highness," Kairi said offhandedly as he fiddled with one of his necromantic Mystic Codes.

"…Sorry, what did you call me?" Mordred asked, bemused.

"Your Highness. You used the term 'subjects', and that's the privilege of royalty, right?" Kairi pointed out. "And isn't your wish to become king in Arthur's place? You have no problem with me calling you that, right?"

Mordred seemed to be blushing, before she muttered, "…None whatsoever." Rallying marvellously, she then said, "Aside from getting subjects caught up in my attacks, I don't intend to feast on them for mana, and as much as she pisses me off, I don't think the fox-bitch would do so as well."

"Love you too, Moedred."

An incoherent growl escaped Mordred's lips, before she calmed herself with an effort. "I'm more worried about the brat, and I'm not sure Lily can keep her on enough of a leash."

"She can, and she will," Harry said. "Anyway, I personally think it's a bit premature to call you Your Highness, myself. How's about…Princess Mordred?" He grinned at her growl. "Hey, don't take offence. You've never seen Xena. You'd love her. Xena, Warrior Princess."

"He's right," Kairi said. "You'd love Xena. The character, anyway. Not so sure about the show."

There was a whipcrack sound from outside, interrupting any discussion or argument that would have ensued, and then, Lily and Jackie entered. "Well…there's some good news and bad news. Lancer of Red, aka the Indian demigod Karna, attacked Ruler, who is Jeanne d'Arc. However, Lancer was stopped by the Saber of the Black Faction, and after a brief fight, left. After Saber and her Master left, I went to where Jackie was, and spoke to Ruler. She accepted that we, at least, were not responsible for Lancer's actions, and she has listened to our concerns about Kotomine. Apparently she is well aware that something is amiss in this Grail War, as she was meant to be summoned here. Instead, she is possessing a willing descendant of one of her relations. She's accepted our phone numbers to keep in contact, but for now, is investigating alone."

"What about Saber of Black?" Mordred asked, though her heavy tone made it more of a demand.

Lily met Mordred's eyes. "Yes, she is Arturia Pendragon, and no, you will not go haring off to attack her."

"What, d'you think I'm stupid?" Mordred retorted, though a vicious grin came over her features.

"We don't think you're stupid, Moedred," Tamamo said, an unspoken _We know_ remaining in the air.

"Fuck off, fox-bitch," Mordred said, before she slammed a fist into her palm. "And before you guys get worried, I ain't gonna storm the castle. Oh no, there's gonna be a fitting battlefield for us both very soon, and I'm gonna show Father that I've surpassed him in every way!"

"Wait, you said 'she', didn't you?" Harry asked.

Lily raised an eyebrow. "I didn't stutter. She and Mordred could be sisters, not parent and child."

"…So was Guinevere a guy, or did Merlin turn Arthur into a guy, or a futa, or what?" Kairi asked.

"I didn't ask," Lily said sarcastically. "Nor do I particularly want to know…"

* * *

"Insolent little brat!" Tamamo snapped, her bushy tail waving back and forth in agitation as she paced in the mausoleum outside of the tent. "If Morgan or Arthur gave her a decent spanking more often, maybe she wouldn't be like this."

"I think she's endearing, her insults towards you notwithstanding," Harry said. "Plus, she reminds me a little of myself. Anger issues, Daddy issues, the desire to prove myself…it's like I've got another little sister."

"Well…I'm glad you think of her that way, Husband, but I wish you'd speak up more on my behalf."

"Tamamo, you and Mordred are the ones who keep sniping at each other. You're also both superhuman entities. I'm not sure I want to intervene in a catfight between you two. I'd probably cause it to get worse, given that I caught Ronald Weasley's tactlessness infection off him at Hogwarts, and before you know it, there's a huge crater from you two using your Noble Phantasms. Besides, you two worked well together against the golems." He then hugged her from behind. "And you have her beaten in the looks and personality department. You may be selfish at times, to say nothing of a sharp tongue, but you're much more pleasant to be around."

He could tell she was blushing. "…Heavens me. If you weren't my husband, I would berate you for being so forward."

"…Are you really that desperate to be a wife, Tamamo?" Harry asked. "I mean, I know you want to find love, and things have moved on from your time, but it's still a pretty sexist time. And we've only known each other for a few days. Hell, we could even die during this."

"I doubt your mother would let you die if she could help it," Tamamo said softly, twisting in his embrace until she was facing him, her own arms encircling him. "And do you think I would have answered your call if I didn't have the capacity to love you? While catalysts can ensure certain Servants are summoned, there's also an issue of compatibility. Take that brat Mordred: the shard of the Round Table could have summoned any knight, but they chose one compatible with Kairi. The _Yata no Kagami_ could have summoned my other aspects, for I did shed my other tails, who have become independent entities of their own. But it chose me, and that means that we can love each other, Husband. If anything, the fact that you wish to take it slow, to nurture our love, is actually quite assuring, if more than a little frustrating."

"You want to be loved, right? I mean, real love. That doesn't mean being a housewife. Hell, I'm a pretty good cook, as you know."

Tamamo smirked, thinking back to the meal he cooked her back in England, at his insistence. She had intended to do so herself, but was surprised. "Well, we can cook for each other. And I want to be a good wife."

"If we love each other, and look out for each other, I don't think anything else matters. Besides, you're pretty badass for a wife."

"Heavens me, such praise," Tamamo said, blushing. "Crude, but sincere. But I think we can do one thing at least." And with that, she pressed her lips to his own.

It hadn't been his first kiss. His first was from a grateful Fleur in the aftermath of the Second Task, and he'd had a few since. But none so intimate. After a brief initial press of her lips to his, she then did so again, her tongue gently probing at his mouth. And he responded in kind. His hand wandered up to her head, and began stroking her twitching vulpine ears, gently. A husky moan of pleasure emanated from the _kitsune_.

A throat clearing pointedly had them break away from each other, looking at the culprit, who was a rather amused Lily. "Sorry to be a gooseberry, but while I'd prefer you to have a slow-burning relationship, if you want to go any further, even if it's a mana-transfer ritual, you should do it elsewhere. I don't think Mordred would care, but Jackie's somewhat impressionable."

"She's a gestalt of a ridiculous number of wraiths, a gestalt who killed prostitutes in Whitechapel," Tamamo said flatly. "You'd think she'd have at least a small understanding of the birds and the bees."

"She saw prostitutes selling their services…and sometimes men raping them," Lily said with a shudder and a grimace. "I've seen her memories firsthand through the Dream Cycle…though they're more nightmares. As in the worst nightmares. Let's just say that her murders are far from the worst part of them, and leave it at that. Anyway, I came out here for a reason other than to stop you two from kissing. Tamamo, as a Caster, you've got Territory Creation as a skill, right? I know you don't like the environs, but it's pretty well a fortress anyway. Kairi and I have already set up wards, and Servants can be recharged more easily in here. As long as you don't desecrate the graves, feel free to make this your territory. We need a home base."

Tamamo pouted. "Fine, Mother-in-Law. Is there something else, though?"

"Yes, actually. We sent my phone number back to Kotomine, just in case. He's just sent a message saying that Berserker of Red is currently out of control, heading towards Trifas. He's trying to correct the issue, but he wants us on full alert, just in case Yggdmillennia mobilizes. He has Archer and Rider following Berserker and trying to herd him away. I'm sending Jackie to the rough location to scout, and to see if I can find any clues as to who the other Servants are."

"You believe the Red Servants to be our enemy as much as the Black Servants," Tamamo observed.

"After Yggdmillennia was defeated, supposedly, the Grail War would continue between the survivors of our faction. I personally smell a rat, given that the Grail normally needs the energy of six Servants to prime it, not thirteen. There may be more wishes available. That being said, our orders from Clock Tower are clear: we are to retrieve the Greater Grail. Shirou Kotomine has his own agenda, and it's partly thanks to you that we avoided his trap. It's possible that he was the one who, somehow, interfered with Ruler's summoning. Personally, I'm all for fighting until only the three Servants here are left: yourself, Jackie, and Mordred. Then, we contact Clock Tower and get them to retrieve the Greater Grail, unless I can use a Portkey. I'm a little wary of doing so. It's a partial embodiment of the Third True Magic, Heaven's Feel, and I really don't want to mess around with that kind of high-level magic. If we're lucky, we can just have the three of you stick around as familiars. Your wish was to find someone to love, Tamamo, and in the end, Jackie's wish is the same. I don't know about Mordred, but…well, I think she'd be happy in a new life."

"If I can live the rest of my life with my husband, even as a familiar, I'd be more than happy," Tamamo said with a grin, her tail swishing to and fro with glee. But then, she frowned. "There's one thing I'm worried about. If we are correct, and Shirou Kotomine has suborned the other members of the Red Faction to do his bidding…why? I mean, I know I said he seemed like Dumbledore, full of self-righteousness and moral absolutism, even if it was only barely noticeable, but…what would someone like that use the Grail for?"

"Nothing good. Though for all we know, he's under secret orders from the Vatican," Harry pointed out. "They might want the Grail for themselves. And keep in mind, Kirei Kotomine and his father used to be part of the part of the Church dealing with artifacts and relics of interest to them. It's possible Shirou's liaising with that part. Mum, do we have any possible info on, say, what Semiramis' Noble Phantasm may be?"

"Our people back in London are still working on it. Given her possible abilities that are like a Caster, she may have a trump card that may prove to give Kotomine an edge, and to tell the truth, while Waver believes us, he's told us that the others think we're being too paranoid, and potentially endangering the relations between the Vatican and Clock Tower. That being said, the Caster of the auxiliary Grail War Waver was in was Medea of Colchis, whose Noble Phantasm, Rule Breaker, effectively allowed her to steal others' Servants by severing the contract between them. Semiramis may be an Assassin, but if you think she has Caster abilities, then watch out," Lily said.

"So why not send Jackie to spy on Kotomine?" Harry asked.

"Because we still don't have enough intelligence on the other Servants on either side. All we have are a list of catalysts, as well as the identity of a few of the Servants, namely Lancer and Assassin of Red, and Lancer and Saber of Black. We will use Jackie as a scout to discern the identities of the Servants and thus counter them. That being said, Kairi also has some familiars, and I asked him to spy on the church and its surroundings. If any of them let slip anything about their trump cards, then that is when we will act. Tamamo, if you can scry the area, I want you to."

Harry noticed her expression as she spoke of it. "You don't want to risk Jackie, do you?"

"Not in outright combat situations. Assassins are notoriously weak against their fellow Servants. Against humans is another matter, though she has her trump card. Her skills, along with her Noble Phantasm, are devastating towards female Servants, and we already have one on our list in Semiramis. If Mordred falls to her sire, then we may have to use it on Arturia as well."

"Great. Using Jack the Ripper to kill King Arthur," Harry said sardonically. "I just knew I was getting pre-emptive bad karma from somewhere…"

**CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, more development of Harry/Tamamo, not to mention Moedred and Tamamo having an argument.**

**Next chapter, we have the Homunculus formerly known as Sieg!**

**Review-answering time! ****Jostanos****: Jeanne will eventually ask for the true Red Faction's help for investigating Shirou Kotomine. She will put some of the pieces together sooner. Lily will be able to show her her memories of seeing Shirou, and Jeanne will actually be able to identify him through these memories. It won't stop everything from going to shit, but it will mean that Jeanne actually knows Shirou is dangerous and has his own agenda.**

**Lia Angelique****: I'm sure she would have had the most marvellous grimace on. Actually, a possible Harry/Semiramis story, albeit one set during the events of ****_Fate/Stay Night_**** rather than ****_Fate/Apocrypha_****, is on the cards. I'd prefer to watch more of the series so that I can have a better grasp of her character before I do that, but I'm sure she and Medea will have the most wonderful rivalry, because really, in the end, they're very similar characters.**

**Leicontis****: You'd be right, though she'd be having words with Arturia first about her treatment of Moedred. However, they will bond eventually.**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	10. Chapter 9: Kay

**CHAPTER 9:**

**KAY**

"So, was your meeting with Ruler fruitful?"

Arturia didn't know why she was allowing EMIYA to follow her like this. The man had been her enemy in the Fifth Holy Grail War. First, he attacked her Master, his past self, after a confrontation with Caster. Second, he betrayed his Master, Rin, and defected to Caster, albeit for his own ends. Third, he made his intentions of killing Shirou clear. So she was understandably unhappy with him, and wasn't sure whether she wanted to talk to him, let alone trust him.

"I'd imagine it wasn't, given the look on your face, save for the fact that the last time we met, we parted on bad terms. Would it help if I said I helped your Master survive Gilgamesh's attempt to drag him into the Grail before I dissipated?"

Arturia wouldn't give him the satisfaction, so she found herself further vexed when he put on a burst of speed, appearing in front of her, his arms crossed. "Sullen silence does not become you, Arturia."

"I have nothing to say to you, _Counter Guardian_," she said contemptuously.

"Then listen to me. I need you to come with me to my room. There has been…a rather annoying development, and bluntly, I need your help. And before you ask, it mostly concerns Astolfo and someone he's found. He's very much like my past self, only with less sense, if that's at all possible."

Arturia considered this, before she nodded. "Lead the way. And know that I will repay any treachery with steel."

EMIYA chuckled darkly. "I have no doubt, Arturia…"

* * *

They were soon in another room, one belonging to EMIYA, with the effeminate form of Astolfo present. However, there was a fourth person present, lying on the bed, an apparently teenaged boy with light brown hair and pink eyes. One of the Homunculi, she realised, similar to those all around the castle.

"Oh, hey, you're here, Arturia!" Astolfo yelped. "Good…listen, this kid here isn't in a good way."

"What happened to him?" Arturia asked.

"He woke up," EMIYA said bluntly. "Did you never wonder why you had a good supply of mana, probably the best you have ever had in a Grail War? The answer is simple, as I discovered when I went for a brief walk, Astralized. They have tanks filled with Homunculi, acting as living batteries for we Servants to draw upon, so we may use our Noble Phantasms with impunity. I found Avicebron and that creepy little Master of his checking on them. Until recently, this boy was one of them. He somehow escaped, and Astolfo brought him here rather than to his room, as his Master has a bad habit of barging in and dragging him elsewhere to have her wicked way with him."

"She's freaky, and I'm over the licking, but she hasn't gone that much further," Astolfo complained. "Yet, anyway. I've got a sneaking suspicion, though, that she intends to use a Command Seal to rape me, and I'm **_not_** okay with that."

Arturia looked appalled. She thought back to Irisviel and Illyasviel. "The depravities of Astolfo's Master aside, you mean to say that we are powered by these Homunculi?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying, Arturia," EMIYA said. "This boy only has another few years left to live. They don't make the Homunculi to last. Which is why I thought of you." EMIYA looked at Arturia. "My Master spoke of your Master using Avalon as a catalyst to summon you. Do you still have it?"

"I do. Are you suggesting I use it on him?"

"What's Avalon?" asked the Homunculus, speaking for the first time.

"A Noble Phantasm capable of healing the bearer, and boosting their power," Arturia explained. "Do you have a name?"

"…No."

"He was literally born from that tank this morning, his 'conception', so to speak, notwithstanding," EMIYA said. "Arturia, I'd suggest not haring off and attacking our Masters. For the time being, we are outnumbered, and Vlad Tepes gains a boost from being on Romanian soil. If you intend to rebel, then pick your moment. In any case, my own Master and her brother are decent people, even if they condone this. Your Master is arrogant and entitled, but he is not evil by any means. I'm more worried about Astolfo's Master, as well as those of Heracles and Vlad."

Arturia gritted her teeth, but she understood EMIYA's counsel. This Grail War was already shaping up to be problematic. Two teams of Servants facing each other, and one of her opponents was her own child. Had this been immediately after Camlann, she would not have hesitated to cut Mordred down. But she had experienced much since then, and found herself reflecting on her actions. Would Mordred be willing to talk, or would she be only willing to cross swords? And the Masters of Black were condoning this?

Still, she knew what EMIYA was suggesting: give up Avalon to this Homunculus. Even though it would cause a disadvantage to her later. In truth, it was no decision at all. She took Avalon out of herself, and looked at the Homunculus. A name occurred to her, of her foster brother, and she smiled. "…Do you want a name?"

"…I'll take one."

"Then you are Kay, after my foster brother. May you be as chivalrous and honourable as he was," Arturia said solemnly, allowing the Homunculus' body to absorb Avalon, Astolfo cooing in awe. The newly-dubbed Kay gasped and spasmed briefly, before he settled, panting. "How do you feel?"

"…Better," Kay said, looking amazed that he even said that. "Thank you, Saber."

"I can provide a copy for you if need be," EMIYA said quietly to Arturia. "Anyway, let's go. I need to talk to you about other matters anyway…"

* * *

They convened in Arturia's room. Arturia, reluctantly, shared what she had discussed with Darnic, as well as her encounter with Karna and Ruler. "So, the von Einzberns summoned Ruler instead of Avenger. That explains a few things," EMIYA said. "And the current Ruler is Jeanne d'Arc. Saber of Red is your child, Mordred, and the girl we saw through Avicebron's golems was Jack the Ripper, originally intended as the Assassin of Black."

"The woman with the fox ears and tail was unfamiliar to me," Arturia said. "What about you?"

"I tried to analyse her weapon, but it seemed to be a divine construct of some kind," EMIYA said. "Still, I'm certain she's a Japanese myth of some kind. In fact, given her dress and fox-like features…I'd put money on Tamamo-no-Mae. Probably a Caster, given what she did with the talismans, but she's more combat-oriented than Medea, it seems."

"Or Gilles de Rais," Arturia remarked, thinking back to the deranged, pop-eyed Caster who mistook her for Jeanne d'Arc.

"Speaking of which, how did you find Ruler? Did you two hit it off?"

"We were cordial, and she apologised for her former associate's actions. However, do you think the Red Faction would truly dare to attack Ruler?"

"No. Clock Tower in general wouldn't. That being said, there are Magi who would, and there may be someone in the Red Faction who believes Ruler to be a threat to their personal plans. I'd say that it was the Master of Lancer, but our experiences with Medea, to say nothing of Kirei Kotomine stealing the Lancer of our Grail War, shows that such an assumption could be a fatal one. Lancer could have been suborned by another Master, or indeed another Servant. In other words, this Grail War is shaping up to be an even worse clusterfuck than the one you and I went through, Arturia. Mordred's feud with you, to say nothing of the Potter family feud, are possibly trivial in comparison to what may be happening in the shadows. As of this moment, I believe the only other Servant we can trust on our side is Astolfo, and even then, he has a flux of the tongue. There's no guarantee that Heracles will be our ally, Vlad is very much like Gilgamesh with far more civility, but with complete and utter faith in his own authority and power, and I don't trust Avicebron. The man's focused wholly on completing that ultimate golem of his…and he's willing to use a human to run it."

"How do you know?"

"I heard him arguing with Heracles' Master. James Potter wished to…_interrogate_ a captive we have, one Sirius Black. However, Avicebron claimed, with what seemed to be truth, that Potter was only going to torture Black, and Avicebron didn't want the core of his golem to be damaged. There was a major argument, and only Darnic forbidding Potter from approaching Black finished the argument, though it seemed that this was far from the first time Potter did this. I doubt it will be the last. He reminds me of a more competent version of Shinji Matou. And considering that this is one of the worlds where Magi and wizards co-exist, albeit barely..."

Arturia considered this. Eventually, she asked, "Rule Breaker…can you duplicate it?"

"Of course. Why? Thinking of betraying your Master?"

"Only if I find myself unable to continue with being under his aegis. Unlike with Kiritsugu or Shirou, I have not sworn as a knight to his service. If his actions are ones I take issue with, or else those of the higher-ups in Yggdmillennia, then I may consider taking my chances with the Red Faction."

"As glad as I am to see you becoming a bit more flexible with your ethics and honour, there's a couple of problems with that. The first is the most glaringly obvious: Mordred. I'm not sure she would want to ally with you. The second is finding a mana supply. Unless Clock Tower have fielded more Magi in the area, which I can't rule out, you'll be hard-pressed finding another Master. And unlike me, you don't have the benefit of an Independent Action skill. A powerful enough wizard or Magus could, theoretically, sustain two Servants, but it would still be a strain. I think your Master's worst traits is his intention on committing filicide, though he rationalises it by thinking of Harry Potter only as a thing, a robot, just as he does the other Homunculi."

"This coming from the man who wished to kill his past self?"

EMIYA glared at Arturia. "If you had to undertake the…_duties_ of a Counter Guardian, you would have understood my situation more," he said, spitting out the word 'duties' as if it were an expletive. "In any case, we are both in a dangerous situation. If the time comes that I am able to allow you to defect, then I will. You could probably even contract Kay as your Master, he certainly has more potential to be one than my past self. But…be careful. He's a blank slate, and impressionable to boot. He is very much like my past self was, in the aftermath of the Fuyuki Fire. Be careful what ideals you put into his head. It's going to undo our work in saving him if he ends up as suicidal as my past self. There's also something that concerns me. I asked Fiore about what she knows about the enemy Masters, aside from the ones we saw. The Church agent sent to coordinate the Red Faction for Clock Tower has a rather disturbing name for us both."

"And that is?"

"Shirou Kotomine."

"…What?" Arturia hissed, the only word she could utter after such a revelation.

"No photos on file, despite Caules trying his best," EMIYA said. "However, he was adopted by the Kotomine family. I asked whether Kiritsugu had any family in this world, and it seems that he did adopt a boy answering to my past self's description, so it can't be him. The von Einzberns and Tohsakas are licking their wounds even seven decades after Darnic stole the Greater Grail. Rin and Sakura still live, and thankfully, Sakura was adopted to the Edelfelts rather than the Matous, who were wiped out. Still, the fact that the Red Faction have a Kotomine amongst their number is concerning, especially in light of Lancer's actions. I'm getting a bad sense of déjà vu."

"As am I," Arturia said.

"Hmm. I think we'd best get ready before long. The Berserker of Red is heading our way, and a couple of his comrades are pursuing him, trying to bring him to heel. I think we'll be sent to intercept them, along with Astolfo…"

* * *

In the chamber containing the tanks of Homunculi, Avicebron and Roche were examining the destroyed tank. "I'm surprised you are remaining calm, Teacher," Roche observed as he held up a thick piece of broken glass.

"I may be surprised by this turn of events, but it does not mean I can't maintain my calm about it. While this incident is certainly unexpected and abnormal, it is not at all a setback. Before we had captured the wizard Sirius Black, that Homunculus was one of the candidates I intended to test to use as the core of Golem Keter Melkuth, but Black is a far more enticing candidate. A wizard surpasses a Magus in terms of sheer power and capacity, and I have modified my golem accordingly to deal with the efficiency issue." Avicebron frowned behind his mask. "Still, if Black proves to be a failure, then we may need to find this Homunculus anyway. And finding him may be desirable. I'm curious to learn how he broke out."

"So where could he be, then?"

"He's still in this castle. None of the Bounded Fields were tripped," Avicebron explained patiently. "For now, we'll just heighten security. Our main concern is making sure Black doesn't escape." He looked over where Black's form floated, mostly naked, within one of the tubes. "And yet that fool Potter keeps coming to try and interfere!" Avicebron's usually suppressed emotions nearly broke through, before he calmed himself.

"Uncle Darnic will be able to keep him on a leash, Teacher," Roche said with utter conviction.

"Will he? A leash is little good for a rabid cur, Roche," Avicebron said. "The same goes for wilful, intractable hounds. And while he may take the form of a stag as an Animagus, James Potter is very much an untrainable dog. He's chosen a strong Berserker and a strong Saber for his son deliberately…because I am sure he needed such Servants to go against Lancer. Vlad's main advantage is the power he draws upon from being on Romanian ground. I've warned Darnic about this, of course, and he's trying to ensure that Charles Potter's loyalty is to us. And, of course, there is the Archer Fiore summoned."

"Yeah…who do you think he is?"

"No ordinary Heroic Spirit. He and Arturia know each other, as I was watching the summoning from here. She seemed wary of him. If a Heroic Spirit as powerful as King Arthur is wary of someone as obscure as that Archer, then it stands to reason that he may be powerful, or at least capable of matching the King of Knights."

"Maybe we should ask her, Teacher."

"Hmm. Perhaps. But I can't be certain that she will answer. Still, enough of that. We still need to produce more golems to make up for those destroyed last night, and we've spent enough time worrying about this anomaly…"

**CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, Sieg has gained a new name and a new power…and Arturia is thinking of jumping ship.**

**Now, before you say this is too OOC for Arturia, consider before you flame me what she's been through. In ****_Fate/Zero_****, she basically had her honour, chivalry, and idea of kingship shat upon by all and sundry, well, Kiritsugu, Iskandar, and, by dint of his appearance as a Berserker, Lancelot, to say nothing of Bluebeard and Diarmuid. And then, she's gone through the Unlimited Blade Works route. Aside from dealing with Shirou being a suicidal idiot, as well as the son of a man she despises, she has to face a girl who could be the daughter of a woman she admired and watched die (Illyasviel and Irisviel), she got kidnapped by Medea (and, if what I've heard is correct, she gets molested by Medea in the original version of the visual novel), nearly ran out of mana, watched Archer target Shirou multiple times, get her ideals chewed out by Archer…yeah, Arturia goes through quite a bit.**

**That, on top of learning about the Homunculi (given her empathy with Irisviel), Sirius Black, and the situation in general, Arturia has basically got to make a choice between doing the right thing, and sticking to her duty as a Servant. She's going to do the right thing. She may not be able to save the other Homunculi or Sirius (yet), but she's going to try and save Kay.**

**Review-answering time! ****rmarcano321****: If you pay attention to the Cauldron or ****_Zelretch's Collection of Alternates_****, you'll know I have one potential story in the works, a Harry/Altera story called ****_Beautiful Destruction_****. Also, by the time you read this, I'll probably have the first chapter of yet another ****_Fate/Apocrypha_**** crossover with a ****_Fate/Extra_**** character involved uploaded to those two collections…called ****_Of Empresses, Saints, Heroes and Wizards_****. No prizes for guessing who the ****_Fate/Extra_**** character is…but for those who need an extra hint…well, it's pretty obvious, umu! It'll have Harry getting involved in the Holy Grail War in a different way, with no WBWL elements, although fans of ****_Knight of Betrayal and Taiga Cub_**** will note a similarity in the opening premise.**

**Guest**** (regarding various issues): Jackie's viewpoint, as mentioned before, was inspired by TheMaster4444's story ****_The Third Faction_****, namely the latest chapter, at least to date. I wanted to show her childish and alien mindset, but also show that she is loyal to her new family. Unlike Alma or Lucy, Jackie's not quite as unstable or alien in her mindset. I actually think of Jackie as being closer to Mariko from ****_Elfen Lied_****, not quite being malicious because she truly is evil, but because she doesn't know any better.**

**Dragon Man 180****: While I have no plans to bring in Tamamo Cat…never say never.**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	11. Chapter 10: Doubt

**CHAPTER 10:**

**DOUBT**

Tamamo wrinkled her nose in disgust as she finally found Berserker of Red, loping through a forest. He was a massive, muscular man in what looked like some bizarre combination of armour and restraints, his mouth perpetually set in a grotesque grin. "Looks like the mutant offspring of the Hulk and the Joker," Harry muttered, before he grimaced in his turn. "And now I'm thinking of the Hulk and the Joker having sex. Why do I do this to myself?"

"Well, at a guess, I'd say that he's from the Mediterranean," Lily said. The three Masters and their respective Servants (save for Jackie, who was napping) were peering at the scrying crystal Tamamo was using. "Tamamo, have you spotted the others?"

"Of course, Mother-in-Law," Tamamo said, gesturing as she changed the viewpoint. The image showed a spearman with a cocky demeanour and vaguely Grecian clothing. Nearby was a woman in a green dress, with similarly coloured hair. Most extraordinary of all, though, were a pair of feline ears and a tail.

"…Looks like you've got competition, fox-girl," Mordred remarked. "So, I'm guessing the catgirl is Archer, and the cocky bastard is Rider. Anyone know who they are?"

"I've no idea," Tamamo said, the others echoing it. "However, Rider did call Archer 'sis' earlier, as a term of endearment. They don't look related. However, that also means that they may have known each other in life. I also heard Rider mention Artemis, so I think they're Greek."

"Then I think I know who Archer is," Lily muttered. "It's just a stab in the dark, but there's not that many famous Greek heroines, not those with combat ability. Blame their general misogyny. I think that may be Atalanta."

"Atalanta?" Kairi asked. "And who's that?"

"A famous huntress and one of the Argonauts," Lily explained. "Abandoned in the woods as a child, so Artemis had her suckled by a she-bear. Indeed, Atalanta swore herself to Artemis' service, and to chastity, as Artemis is a chaste goddess."

"Then what's with the cat ears?" Mordred asked.

"Atalanta was effectively tricked into wedding Hippomenes. There was a foot race and golden apples involved. But after they offended one god or another, they were turned into lions," Lily said. "Admittedly, I'm only guessing, but if that's Atalanta, she could be a formidable foe. She was a superlative huntress, having brought down the Calydonian Boar, even if Meleager drew first blood. He honoured her with its pelt, but his relatives took issue, and that led to his death."

"I guess the moral of the story is, don't be a Greek hero, or a hero in general," Harry snarked. "The hours are appalling, the pay is shit, and you generally die thanks to either a god or other people taking issue with your existence, assuming you don't fuck things up yourself. The question is, do we bring up the issue of Shirou Kotomine with them?"

"No. We don't want to play our hand, and they may cause Kotomine to get suspicious of us…well, more than he already must be," Lily said. "Still…if what we suspect is right, and the Red Faction have been suborned by Kotomine, why is he sending Berserker that way? Is he trying to provoke the Black Faction into exposing their forces? Or could it be that Berserker is out of control? That's certainly a possibility."

"Mad Enhancement works in varying ways," Tamamo mused. "It's possible. Even Moedred here could be basically a Berserker. Are you sure you don't have Mad Enhancement?"

"Fuck you, fox-bitch," Mordred muttered.

"You're not my husband, so no thanks." Then, frowning, Tamamo looked over at Mordred. "On a more serious note…how likely are we to beat your father? And I don't want to hear your boasting and bragging. I want a serious assessment from Mordred Pendragon, the knight who fought both alongside and against Arthur."

Mordred clicked her tongue in annoyance, but began. "…If what you guys said is true, and the Potters used Avalon to summon Father, then we might be in trouble. I'll admit, I got lucky at Camlann in one regard, as Avalon had already been taken from Father. Avalon can pretty much heal any wound as long as it's not a fatal one to the head. If the Potters put Avalon back into Father, then we're going to have one hell of a fight on our hands. In fact, Father might be able to use Excalibur at full power multiple times. It's an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm. I've seen Father use it a couple of times. It's a bit like those weapons you have these days. It's like a small nuke. Now, I'll admit, Clarent's pretty powerful, but it's Anti-Army, a step down from Anti-Fortress. That being said, we have an advantage that Father doesn't. We don't fight fair. I don't like you, fox-girl, but you're a pretty damned good fighter, especially for a Caster. And Jackie's one hell of a fighter herself for an Assassin. Anyway, I want a one-on-one duel with Father…but if I look to be in trouble, you guys can tag in if necessary. But…I don't want Father dead. Not yet. I want Father to know that passing me over as heir was a mistake."

Lily, after a moment, went over and hugged Mordred. "Mordred…I think I understand. You don't want the throne at all, do you? You just wanted Arthur's love and respect, her acknowledgement."

"Shut up!" Mordred said. "It's not like that at all!"

"…Mordred, when I woke up, one of the first things I saw was my son with eyes like yours, looking at me, and hoping beyond hope that I wouldn't reject him, and yet resigned to the fact that I would," Lily said, gently hugging the Saber Servant to her tighter. "Did Arthur ever say she hated you?"

"…Father's last words to me, at Camlann…" Mordred admitted, reluctantly, her eyes glistening suspiciously. "Arthur claimed to have never hated or despised me…but just thought I wasn't worthy of being a king. Me, the child of the king, bastard or not!"

"…Then that's more than my father ever gave me," Harry said.

"Or ours," came the voice of Jackie as she emerged from the tent, her soulful golden eyes looking up at Mordred, who had broken away from Lily to look at the new arrival. "Many of our fathers beat us, when we lived long enough to know what a father was."

Mordred, after a moment, chuckled in a rather wan manner, squatting down to Jackie's level. "…Well, I know you had it worse than me, kid. But…do you like it here?"

"We're warm, Mummy cooks for us when we feel hungry, and we even have a family," Jackie said, cocking her head quizzically. "What's not to like?"

Mordred chuckled again, a quiet, sad thing. "Of course you have simple wants. You're a kid," she said, ruffling the silver hair of the Assassin. "Jackie…I know this is odd, considering what you're pretty infamous for…but don't get used to killing. Even that…witch of a mother of mine gave me a semblance of a childhood, even if it was for her own ends. I ain't good with this soppy stuff."

"You're doing very well, Mordred," Lily said quietly. "I fight to protect what's dear to me, Harry being one of them. Jackie, despite our short acquaintance and her nature, is another. She was never taught what right and wrong was. She never had the chance to learn. I want her to have the chance she never did."

"Heh. Wow, you guys are pretty different from what the norm of Magi and wizards are," Mordred said, standing up. "I would've thought you'd be ordering us around like familiars, and yet, you give a crap about us as people. Not that I'm complaining, mind."

"Well, you were people once," Lily said. "To be honest, I don't like the thought of pitting you guys against each other. And this Grail War's getting rid of a lot of my preconceptions about people from myth and history. Jackie, for example, what she wanted was warmth and love, and she didn't know how to get it. And you, well, you didn't rebel because you hated Arthur. You rebelled because you loved her, but she didn't reciprocate…or maybe she didn't know how. You told me that the King held herself up to be aloof and perfect, and while you didn't mind that at first, a lot of people said otherwise. And that's without anything to do with Tamamo, given how her myth paints her as a villain. Then again, given how she was portrayed, you'd think that Medea would have started taking over the world. And yet, after she got her new life during the Grail War she was in, she's just settled down for a nice married life. She even has a kid: Olga Circe Animusphere."

"Right, with old Marisbilly," Kairi said.

"Hmm. The point is, what defines a hero and a villain is never clear cut," Lily said. "Sometimes, all the so-called villains want is a second chance. Incidentally, Mordred, I forgot to mention, while I had my senses linked to Jackie, I learned something interesting. Arthur mentioned being in a Grail War before this one, and facing Gilles de Rais as a Caster. I've done my research, and I know for a fact that there has been no prior Grail War in this world where either Arthur has been summoned, or else Gilles de Rais as a Caster."

"…What's your point?" Mordred asked.

"…I don't think this Arthur comes from this particular timeline," Lily said. "The Throne of Heroes exists outside of normal spacetime, so being summoned between different universes doesn't require the Second True Magic, Kaleidoscope. Jackie also told me…she regretted how she treated you. This was before they spotted Karna attacking Jeanne d'Arc."

"And what, you want me to play nice?" Mordred demanded with a dangerous tone. "With the enemy?"

"I'm just pointing something out, Mordred. I've seen my own family torn apart because of the ego of that bastard who called himself my husband," Lily said. "The difference between him and Arthur…is that Arthur seems to actually regrets her actions…"

* * *

"But why won't you let me see him, Dad?" Charles complained.

"Because we have him drugged and in confinement, Charles. It's necessary to prevent his escape," James explained for what had to be the Nth time. Charles knew by this point that his father was dodging the issue. "Now stop arguing. Padfoot is a traitor. I left him in Azkaban because he objected to my dealings with Yggdmillennia. Apparently the Blacks had had a bad history with them, and he nearly tried to kill me! It's a good thing I Obliviated him of that little saga. He will be our insurance against the other traitors. We'll ensure that they can't hurt us while we have them. Especially not with one of Celenike's curses. If we die, then Black dies with us."

Charles sighed quietly to himself. It had been a hard life since they were forced to flee Britain. Well, not a hard life in terms of comforts: Yggdmillennia's castle was like something out of a fairytale, and he lived the life of the prince his father told him he was. But it was hard, stewing in the resentment and anger at the ingratitude of those who should have been there for them. Harry was little more than a Homunculus, a doll whose soul was only there to ensure that he had magic, a robot, made for one purpose only. And yet, his mother chose the doll over him!

"Just remember, son…soon, this will be ours. You're engaged to Fiore, and she's Darnic's successor. Once he's out of the way, we can turn this organisation into what it should be. Darnic, Clock Tower, the Ministry, MACUSA, the ICW, Atlas…their time has passed. Darnic is just a more careful Voldemort, trying to cheat death. We deserve the Grail, not Darnic, not Clock Tower, not anyone else. The Potters, through descent from Godric Gryffindor and Ignotus Peverell, are the true stewards of the magical world. This is what my father and Dumbledore taught me. We are the true scions of all that is good about magic. Summoning the strongest of heroes in Arturia Pendragon and Heracles is all the more proof of that. And yet, they've summoned the likes of Jack the Ripper and Mordred to their cause, showing their lack of righteousness. So if we have to force the world to become what it should be, then we will make it so. Darnic and his followers, along with the Red Faction, are the last obstacles. Once we do this, and use the Greater Grail to establish our ascendancy, then the combined houses of Potter and Yggdmillennia will stand for over a thousand years. You and Fiore and Caules and Roche…you are the future, not those hidebound dinosaurs in the Magus Association or the various Ministries…and certainly not the traitors."

Charles was silent during this tirade. He'd heard this refrain before, and while he believed in it, it didn't mean he wasn't getting sick of it. "I just wanted to ask Padfoot why, Dad. Why he turned on us."

"It's because he doesn't understand the concept of sacrifice. Instead, he turned on me, when I saved his arse from going to Azkaban in the first place by stopping Snivellous from getting mauled by the werewolf. Me, the man he called brother! A true brother would be there for you, through thick and thin, be loyal no matter what. They turned on me first, when I have done so much to protect them. I sacrificed so much, being friends with a werewolf and a Black, at a time when both were being actively recruited by Voldemort. And the Homunculus…weapons don't have the right to backchat their wielders. Speaking of which, keep an eye on Arturia. A king like her should understand sacrifices for the good of all, but I have a sneaking suspicion her sense of honour might get in the way. She needs to be kept under control if we're to overthrow Darnic. We will need Excalibur, along with Heracles' strength and tenacity, to deal with someone like his Servant. Now, go and see your fiancée, son. With the Berserker of Red heading our way, we need to send Arturia out into the field, along with that Archer of Fiore's. Darnic's plan is a good one, assuming we can suborn the Berserker. I'll see you soon."

As his father turned and left, Charles was left, feeling a little ill at ease. Why was his father, to say nothing of almost everyone else (especially that creepy Caster and Darnic) so insistent on preventing him from seeing Padfoot? True, the man was a traitor, but one thing that did itch at Charles was that they left Padfoot in Azkaban. There were few, in Charles' opinion, who deserved such a fate. Not even the doll or his treacherous mother deserved that. Death, yes, but a decade left at the non-existent mercy of the Dementors? Personally, he felt that was even more barbaric than what happened to some Sealing Designations at Clock Tower.

Charles was a hero, but there were times when he felt like his actions hadn't been heroic. They had run away from Britain, leaving his mother in the care of the Unspeakables while they tried to revive her. True, it was to train up, something he had been doing for much of his life. The doll thought he had been pampered all his life, but training was hard! His father pushed him to his very limits…and beyond. So what if the doll had to be the Dursleys' servant? They had Homunculi servants in Yggdmillennia, like House Elves, only more human like. Hell, you could even screw them if you felt so inclined, though to his knowledge, only Celenike did so, creepy bitch that she was.

Charles was easily one of the most powerful wizards in the world, and putting paid to Voldemort for good only proved that. Magical Britain turned on him because they feared and envied the powerful, he knew.

As he made to head to Fiore's room, he heard the sardonic voice of the Archer say, "He's hiding something from you, you know."

"What do you want?" Charles snapped irritably, not wanting to hear any backchat from a Servant who had an obscure origin, turning to find EMIYA standing there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Fiore sent me to fetch you. I think she misunderstood the definition of 'Servant', with a capital 'S', but she's more amiable than the last Master I've dealt with," EMIYA said. "Magi are normally quite ruthless, but like a friend I had in life, she's got a good heart underneath it. You're lucky to have her. Strive to emulate her character. Don't strive to be a hero, Charles Potter. You won't like what ensues."

"I **_am_** a hero! I destroyed Voldemort for once and for all!" Charles snapped.

"And yet, here you are in a castle with an ex-Nazi collaborator, even if he backstabbed them, a psychotic bitch who makes Bellatrix Lestrange look restrained, and you're okay with that?"

Charles grit his teeth, before he said, "I can find my own way to Fiore, Servant. Know your place."

"I know my place all too well," EMIYA said as Charles passed him. "And let me tell you this, Charles Potter. Heroes either die a hero, or live long enough to see themselves become the villain. I've experienced the latter long ago, despite my efforts to the contrary. What about you?"

Charles whirled to snarl at EMIYA, but the Archer had already Astralized, ensuring that all Charles did was glare furiously at the wall. So he turned and stormed down the corridor, refusing to accept the fact that the Servant had stirred up waters that were disturbed already. Because a small, nagging voice in his mind agreed with EMIYA, and he'd been trying to ignore that voice for years…

**CHAPTER 10 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, there you have it. The protagonists have discovered Atalanta's identity, we get Moedred and Jackie having a bonding moment, and we get some insight into Charles' mind…and it seems that he isn't quite as viciously antagonistic as we thought. I did admittedly put some justifications into James' words, to try and plug a couple of plot holes (and I did this before I got inundated with all the kvetching about said plot holes), as well as show Charles is being troubled by his conscience. But, as Rattman said in the ****_Portal_**** comic ****_Art Therapy_****, you can always ignore your conscience…**

**Anyway, this will be the last chapter for a little while. I hope you guys have enjoyed what I've written so far.**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	12. Chapter 11: The First Confrontation

**CHAPTER 11:**

**THE FIRST CONFRONTATION**

If there was one thing that Tamamo-no-Mae wasn't expecting from her Master, it was the fact that she was being treated with a surprising amount of respect. Not the kind of respect that a deity would deserve or demand, like the one she once was. But rather, despite the fact that he knew something about her past and why she had been branded a monster, he treated her like, well, a person, even knowing she was a _kitsune_. An entity, she should add, that didn't have the best reputation in Japan.

And yet, despite baulking at her calling him 'Husband', as well as a rather loud confrontation between Harry and his mother, she realised that he was a decent person, at least in some regards. True, from what she saw of his memories through the Dream Cycle, he had a somewhat vindictive streak now, but she didn't mind, she had something similar. Perhaps why he was so welcoming of her, despite knowing about her past, was because he knew what it was like to be an outcast, as well as famous and infamous.

She knew he was attracted to her. She had to admit, if she was willing to disregard the scars, he was quite dishy. And to tell the truth, the burn scar actually added a sense of character to his face. But there was something else.

When she wanted to cook for him, he had refused politely. It took a brief argument back in England before they agreed to try each other's food. Tamamo loved his food, even if her enjoyment was a little marred by the knowledge that he had gotten so good by basically being a scullion to his relatives. Her own cooking went down fairly well: the pair of them had been to Japan often enough that they enjoyed the cuisine, and Harry and Lily hadn't gotten the knack of cooking it yet, despite a few lessons from Shirou Emiya, the adopted son of the infamous Magus Killer.

He treated her not as a familiar or a Servant, but as a person…and a possible friend. Tamamo knew that Harry was going to be her husband with utter conviction, but his actions actually bore that out. He kept things slow, perhaps frustratingly so, and yet, there was no denying his affectionate nature when the mood took him. Seriously, the way he scratched her ears made a shiver run down her spine, of the good kind. She wanted to bed him badly, but she also knew that he wasn't looking for sex. Oh, he wanted to bed her, her nose could smell the pheromones coming off him, but he had enough restraint to not do that. He wanted to establish a proper relationship first.

Why, oh why, wasn't Toba like this, accepting of who she was, tail, ears and all? Those were her thoughts. Then again, these days, as Harry pointed out, a sexy _kitsune_ like herself would be inundated with men wanting her. She was grateful for his restraint, even if she was frustrated by it too. In fact, she knew with the utmost conviction, that if they survived the Grail War, then he would make her happy. And she would reciprocate.

True, she had a happy life in her original life, born first as Mikuzume, before she became known as Tamamo-no-Mae. But it was Toba's rejection, as well as what happened afterwards, that caused her to despair. Even now, she'd occasionally shiver at a flashback, a phantom pain of being attacked with multiple arrows. Hunted down like the fox she resembled, and in her dying misery, she became the infamous Killing Stone, until she was exorcised.

In truth, while she argued with one and felt uneasy even now around the other, she felt a strange kinship with her fellow Servants. Mordred, for all her violence and insolence, was, at the core, a child looking for love and approval from a parent who never gave her any, judged harshly by history when rejection sent her down a dark path. And Jack the Ripper, while twisted and macabre, was also just a child looking for love and warmth. Well, a gestalt made of many children looking for warmth and love where there had been little, but still…as long as Jackie didn't turn on her husband or mother-in-law, then Tamamo would accept the kiddy assassin…especially now that she wasn't wearing that obscene outfit.

Still, if one thing truly worried her about her husband, it was the hatred and rancour within him, something that may lead him to go haring off and getting himself killed. Mordred shared the same flaw. And given how Tamamo's very existence depended on Harry staying alive, to say nothing of the matrimonial bond she intended to share with him, well, that was a point of no small concern.

She and Mordred were currently making their way through the forest, heading for Rider of Red's location, to act as backup…as well as to test out the enemy. They had a Portkey ready to flee if need be. In addition, Jackie was going to be scouting out the location of Berserker of Red, as Kairi and Lily had agreed that the Black Faction's forces might attack Berserker of Red separately.

They arrived just in time to see the cocky Rider look up at their approach. "…Huh. So, those other Masters did send backup? Saber and…Caster, at a guess?"

"Yeah. So, where's the enemy?" Mordred asked.

"Right here."

The voice was low and weary, and Tamamo whirled to find the speaker, a man in a black battlesuit, with a red coat or mantle over it, his skin tanned, his hair white. And next to him was…

"Father…" Mordred growled, her helmet disassembling. And Tamamo could certainly see the resemblance. Indeed, the Once and Future King could have been Mordred's sister, though quite the opposite in demeanour: stern, aloof, refined…but then, Tamamo saw something come over the opposing Saber's face. Regret, even sadness.

"…My child," Saber of Black said softly.

Mordred scoffed. "So you do acknowledge it?"

"I never denied that you were my child. Only my heir. Only that you were worthy to be king. How I dealt with your revelation…it was one of many mistakes I made during my reign."

Mordred stared at Arturia in shock, before hysterical laughter burst from her mouth. "Oh God, this is too much! Did you really just say such things, Father?! So, how're you gonna correct that mistake, huh? Gonna gut me again? Only, I'm not seeing Rhongomyniad anywhere." Eventually, she shook her head, before giving a sneer. "I don't think this is the time or place to face each other properly. So I'm just gonna beat you half to death. Anyway, what's with this wanker standing next to you with the spray-on tan?"

"I am Archer of Black," the man said. "Well, well, well…what an illustrious group of people we have here. Achilles, Mordred, and Tamamo-no-Mae. Plus, we have your Archer skulking about in the trees."

Tamamo frowned. "And how did you know our names?"

"Let's just say I have a knack of identifying Heroic Spirits."

"Heavens me, what a man of mystery," Tamamo snarked. "And Moedred here is right, your tan looks sprayed-on."

This almost caused the mysterious Archer of Black to lose his composure, a brief spasm of a smirk touching his lips. He then muttered, "Trace On." A lance appeared in his hand.

Tamamo's eyes widened. Projection! This Archer used Projection to create a weapon that, if she wasn't mistaken, was a Noble Phantasm. Suddenly, she put it together. "You…you can use Structural Analysis to identify Noble Phantasms and recreate them via Projection…" she said. But was that possible? On normal people, trying to use Structural Analysis on a Noble Phantasm could potentially fry their brain.

"And I recognise that lance," Achilles muttered, his cocky grin replaced with a scowl. "Are you mocking me with Hector's spear?"

"Warning you. This is a mere probing attack, a warning against engaging us."

"And yet, we're four against two," Achilles retorted, only to have to dodge Archer as he slashed at his feet.

Mordred just kept her sword ready, facing down her sire. Arturia sighed, before readying her own blade. "…Fox-girl," Mordred said quietly. "Don't interfere unless I'm in very real danger. Just make sure any other fuckers don't crash the party."

"Then stay alive, Moedred," Tamamo replied.

Mordred scoffed. "Who do you think I am?"

"The girl who died fighting this woman, even if you managed to take her down with you," Tamamo said quietly. As much as the belligerent knight annoyed her, she also didn't want to see her die. "Stay alive."

Mordred scoffed again. "I don't need your advice in that regard. So, Father…ready or not, here I come!"

Tamamo had to admit, the following clash was quite interesting and spectacular. She was, admittedly, mostly paying attention to Arturia and Mordred's clash more than the Archer of Red and Achilles. For all Mordred's boasting about being the only knight who could surpass Arthur, it wasn't all hyperbole. While Arturia held the advantage in terms of strength, skill and speed, Mordred made up for it in sheer unpredictability and willingness to use cheap tricks.

However, Mordred seemed to sense something, and taunted, "What's wrong, Father?! Lacking courage? You were better than this at Camlann! Are you finally gonna admit that I'm a worthy king?! Or do I hafta beat it outta ya?!"

Arturia batted her away, sending Mordred sliding into a tree. "…You lacked the quality to be a king, Mordred. I told you this many times. But…some said I did too. I certainly did not think to redress that in you. For that, I am sorry."

"Sorry?" Mordred asked, dumbfounded.

"Sorry that I never tried to instil the qualities a king needed. To curb your brashness, to bring out the best of what my seed and Morgan's gave you…to treat you like my child."

Mordred stared at her sire, before she began to giggle, then chuckle, then laugh wildly, like a hyena. "It's a bit _late _to say _**sorry**__, FATHER!_" she snarled, before she dashed at Arturia. However, her wild charge left her blind to Arturia managing to step to the side, and slashed into her armour, Mordred crashing to the ground, bleeding from a wound to her side.

As Mordred struggled to get up, Arturia sighed quietly. "Is it too late?"

"Of course it fucking is! Just as we were at Camlann, we're on opposing sides!" Mordred snarled, standing up. "Only, you're working for the douchebag side! Where's that knightly pride, Arthur?! Where's your righteousness?!"

"…I've learned to be more flexible, Mordred." Suddenly, she used Excalibur to deflect a bunch of arrows. "Let's just say I have learned a little from your example…"

* * *

Jackie frowned as they watched the confrontation between the big muscle man and…well, that strange one with the lance smelled more like a boy than a girl, and yet, there were those girly clothes. Was that like Mordred, only in reverse?

The gestalt entity that was one of the most infamous serial killers of all time frowned. They watched as the girly boy claimed to be something called a Paladin of Charlemagne, before the muscle man attacked. The girly boy then used his Noble Phantasm, something called the Trap of Argalia. Soon afterwards, with the muscle man's leg falling off from the beam attack from the Noble Phantasm, some spikes seemed to sprout from the muscle man's body. Then, a man on a horse, all pale and stuff, came along, along with some creepy guy with a mask and blue robes. Golems enveloped the muscle man, and he ended up being filled with spikes after the pale guy said something like "_Kazikli Bey._"

Jackie heard their Mummy mutter, along their link, _So, Berserker…has been captured? Hmm, and a Paladin of Charlemagne…rather eccentric…maybe it's Astolfo, like one of the relics on that list Waver showed. Jackie, are you all right?_

_Of course!_ Jackie chirped. _What do you want me to do?_

_Stay on reconnaissance for now_, Lily Mummy said. _Don't worry, I'll have a little treat for you when you get back._

_Okay!_ Jackie chirped. And the gestalt entity smiled. Not the sinister smile they could have had, but a contented one. They had a mother who cared for them, who fed them and kept them warm, and something like a family. Though they hoped said family was okay…

* * *

Tamamo was healing Mordred's wounds, while Arturia was watching on. As Achilles slammed into a tree, Archer of Black said, "We're done here. Let's get going."

"We ain't done here!" Mordred snarled. "I haven't beaten Father half to death yet! No fake-tanned bastard's gonna tell me otherwise!"

"Mordred!" Arturia barked, getting her child's attention. "…We'll face each other again. Make yourself ready for when we do." With that, Archer shimmered out of existence, while Arturia took an object from her armour, and vanished, said object being presumably a Portkey.

Mordred, her wounds healed, stood up, and screamed, "FUCK!" to the night sky, before she whirled on a newcomer, Archer of Red, presumably Atalanta. "And you…I don't need some catgirl in a pretty dress trying to help! If my father would've been affected by arrows, then I'd have been sitting on the throne sooner!"

"You're welcome," Atalanta said sardonically, before turning to Achilles. "And how come you got your rear handed to you by an Archer, of all classes?"

Achilles rubbed at said rear. "…He's trickier than he seems. That fighting style…I got cocky, didn't think much of it at the time…but it's damn near suicidal. He deliberately left openings in his defence, and when I tried to exploit them, he'd take advantage…and he kept going for my heels. Bastard. Even used Hector's lance to do it, just to piss me off. Bloody bowman who thinks he's a Lancer."

"You're a Rider who uses a lance yourself," Atalanta said, with a deadpan tone. "You can't talk." She then looked over at Tamamo and Mordred. "Are you two all right?"

"My comrade here has a rather severe case of bruised pride," Tamamo snarked. "There's a cream for that. And are you stealing my schtick, Archer? Heavens me, I'll have you know, I came upon my ears and tail honestly."

Atalanta scoffed. "I didn't see you helping out Mordred."

"I told her not to, catgirl!" Mordred retorted. "If things got really hairy, then she would've stepped in. But until that happened, that fight was between me and my father. So have a nice, warm cup of _Shut the Fuck Up_."

"Sis, it's okay," Achilles said as Atalanta bristled. "I get what she's saying. Hell, my own pride got me in deep shit before."

Atalanta rolled her eyes. "And he's capable of introspection," she muttered not quite under her breath. "Will wonders never cease?" She then turned her attention back to Mordred and Tamamo. "Still, thanks for coming. Even if your Masters are not with ours, we appreciate the help, though we don't appreciate the backchat."

"The backchat's free of charge," Mordred snarked.

Tamamo, however, was perturbed. Mother-in-Law had forbidden them from bringing up the other Masters of Red with the other Servants of the Red Faction, as well as Karna's attack. It was to avoid tipping their hand to the enemy, especially if it was Shirou Kotomine. Still…these Servants seemed to be acting without any apparent suspicions. So, what was going on? Had Shirou Kotomine truly suborned them?

**CHAPTER 11 ANNOTATIONS:**

**And here we go, the first confrontation between Arturia and Mordred. Plus, EMIYA trolling Achilles, because why not? To say nothing of a part from Tamamo's POV.**

**I have to admit, writing Tamamo was…I can't say difficult. It's more that I have to write her somewhat differently to how she was portrayed in ****_Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star_****. I haven't played the original ****_Fate/Extra_****, so I basically had to discern her personality in that game from Youtube videos of some scenes, as well as her personality in the My Room scenes from ****_Fate/Extella_****, which was closer to what I thought the true Tamamo was. I did make her more altruistic and selfless, though she is also still set on monogamy, but I also kept her sassiness and sharp tongue, as well as her flirtiness.**

**It's interesting how the three main story Servants of ****_Fate/Extella_**** are all lonely people. Nero, Tamamo, Altera…all yearn to be with someone who can understand them. Maybe that's the point.**

**Anyway, next chapter, Kay escapes, and Arturia pulls a Pettigrew…**

**Review-answering time! ****OBSERVER01****: Although they had an antagonistic relationship in canon, the fact that Mordred and Jackie are on the same side helps them gain a better relationship here. While understandably uneasy about being on the same side as an infamous serial killer, Mordred isn't stupid. In fact, knowing about Jackie's past, she sees a little of herself in Jackie, as an unloved girl condemned to infamy for her deeds. As for Medea…well, I wanted to make out that Iskandar got defeated somehow, and Medea was one of those who sprang to mind as someone who could defeat Iskandar by trickery and playing 'let's you and him fight'. Medea is one of those characters whom I wished had a real chance for redemption, hence why I did those references in passing.**

**Thanatos' Scribe****: Hmm, do you mean Edmond Dantes? While that is appealing, that's not going to happen. But he may, albeit later, become the Master of an already summoned Servant…**

**Guest ****(regarding Avalon): EMIYA can only provide temporary copies of Avalon, due to how Projection works. Because they want to save Kay's life, he felt a more permanent solution was needed.**

**Guest**** (with the long reviews): The whole thing with Remus being around was a mistake, coming from the original version of this fic with a Harry/Eve pairing and with Remus being Jackie's Master. I didn't quite catch every mention of him in Romania when I copied and pasted bits from the original version (I had written up to what has since become Chapter 8), so I've since corrected it. And Shirou Emiya being a possible reincarnation of Shirou Amakusa Tokisada makes sense, though I actually had it in my mind that he was actually the reincarnation of Angra Mainyu, 'born' within the Fuyuki Fire as the last remnants of Angra Mainyu's humanity, hence why he was such a ****_tabula rasa_****. I mean, it makes sense, considering the form that Angra Mainyu takes in ****_Fate/Hollow Ataraxia_**** and ****_Fate/Grand Order_****. Maybe he wasn't truly mimicking Shirou as much as regaining his original human form.**

**Leicontis****: Yep, that is definitely EMIYA's most potent weapon. I wouldn't go so far as to call it EX-ranked, but as Rule Breaker shows, it's not the strength of the Noble Phantasm, but what you do with it…**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	13. Chapter 12: Defection

**CHAPTER 12:**

**DEFECTION**

For the time being, Lily left Jackie to keep an eye on matters. After seeing how suspiciously Astolfo acted, in a blatantly bad manner, she had the Assassin follow to the edge of the Bounded Fields around Yggdmillennia's citadel. As a reward, she was going to give Jackie some hot chocolate. The hot drink had been a revelation to the child Assassin, and she loved drinking it as a reward for being good to her mother. Lily actually thought that dealing with Jackie was easy. Once you gained her trust, treat her like a normal, loved child, and she would do anything for you. It was a rather cynical way of looking at things, for despite her origins and that damned costume she wore initially, Lily actually felt very maternal and protective feelings towards Jackie, and if there was a way to ensure that Jackie and Tamamo gained physical bodies from the Grail, so that they could live proper lives with those they loved, then she'd do so.

She had a laptop out, the modem attached to it having magical modifications that allowed it to tap into the nearest network of enough strength…which was surprisingly easy. She suspected that Yggdmillennia had installed a computer network of their own. Had she known it was partly thanks to Caules, she would have made a mental note to thank him.

Still, this email from Waver was concerning. There were reports of purchases of certain materials, mostly ancient materials relating to Assyria. And to her knowledge, the only Servant they knew of with an association to that area was Semiramis, Shirou Kotomine's Servant. A Noble Phantasm, then? But why?

Harry was outside the magical tent, waiting for the other Servants, while Kairi was fiddling with…was that a Hydra? A baby pickled Hydra? On seeing her look, Kairi shrugged. "Managed to persuade old Rocco into parting with it as an advance payment."

"Why a pickled Hydra?"

"Useful thing, their poison. Amongst other things, I can make a pretty potent antidote with it," Kairi said. Lily nodded in realisation. While the poison would make a good weapon, it seemed that Kairi was preparing for any contingency. "And considering that you said Semiramis is an infamous poisoner, it's probably prudent. How's the munchkin?"

"Jackie? She's doing well. The only thing she's complained about so far is boredom," Lily said. "I feel uneasy having a child do this, but…"

"She's a Servant, and an Assassin to boot. They're generally excellent at recon," Kairi said. "The fact that you treat her like a normal human being probably helps her stay loyal to you."

"I missed the childhood of both of my children, even if one was a Homunculus," Lily said. "I guess I want a second chance with Jackie."

"Heh. I know that feeling. Mordred's a bit like a daughter I wanted to have, full of piss and vinegar." Kairi sighed quietly. "I had adopted a daughter once, actually. A distant relative. Ayumi. She was going to inherit my Magic Crest. We were hoping that a curse that rendered me sterile would be bypassed with her." He grimaced. "She died, horribly and in agony. You know Boggarts? She'd be my Boggart, her corpse."

"…I'm sorry to hear that," Lily said, quite heartfelt.

"Thanks," Kairi said softly. "I've sort of given up on curing the curse. And before you ask, I ain't gonna wish on the Grail for that. My main mission is retrieving the Grail for Clock Tower. Quite frankly, keeping it out of the mitts of Shirou Kotomine is going to be a priority too."

"Easier said than done," Lily said. "We don't know what Semiramis' Noble Phantasms are, and we only have limited knowledge of what the other Servants of Red can do. And Yggdmillennia have captured rather than killed Berserker of Red. Incidentally, I have identified him, thanks to Vlad Tepes making a comment: Spartacus." She scoffed. "Didn't look that much like Kirk Douglas, unless he really abused steroids. I've also identified Rider of Black as Astolfo, and his Noble Phantasm, Trap of Argalia, can return anything it hits to a spiritual form. That being said, don't be confused if you do see Astolfo: he looks and dresses like a girl, but Jackie can tell."

"…This Grail War is really blowing open gender expectations. King Arthur, Mordred and Jack the Ripper were girls, Astolfo is a transvestite…" Kairi muttered.

Lily nodded, only to hear Jackie speak to her. _Mummy? We've spotted Astolfo coming back out of the castle. He seems to be escorting someone who looks like an Yggdmillennia Homunculus_.

Lily frowned to herself. What was happening? …_Follow them, Jackie. But take no further action for now_…

* * *

"Damn him!" her Master snarled as they charged through the woods. "Why is that stupid Rider helping a Homunculus escape?!"

"Maybe he's had an attack of conscience," Arturia said. "I too find myself uneasy at using Homunculi as power sources."

Suddenly, her Master stopped, and he turned to glare at her. "…And why would you be? They're Homunculi, dolls, robots born of magic, not science," he said. "They only have a soul because it's needed for their magic, without sentience. They are there purely to obey, not to have an opinion on the matter."

Arturia fought down a surge of anger, and not wholly successfully, as her voice was tight with anger, and her emerald eyes met Charles' own. "I fought alongside a Homunculus in my first Grail War. Irisviel von Einzbern was one of the bravest women I have ever known, and she was more than a mere doll, Charles Potter."

"You're wrong, Saber!" Charles said, storming over to her and jabbing a finger in her face. "You may have been a person yourself, once, but Homunculi are **_not_** people! They're non-sentient dolls, made to fulfil their purpose and nothing more! Or do you ask a cow for forgiveness when you had roast beef? You should be saving your sympathy for Rider, because as stupid as he's being and as pissed as we are with him, I know Celenike is going to do more to him than he deserves!"

"Charles, a Homunculus is a person! Or rather, they can be! You can claim all you like that I am wrong, but you cannot change the way I feel about the issue!"

"Oh? And are you going to betray me like that bitch I once called a mother?" Charles asked dangerously.

Before Arturia could make a retort, the weary voice of EMIYA emanated from nearby. "If she does, then I will deal with her," the Archer Servant said as he joined them. "Caster's golems are delaying them, but Astolfo is helping stop them, according to my Master."

Arturia shot a glare at EMIYA, though this was partly camouflage. Earlier, they had discussed a plan for her to fake her death and thus defect, either to the Red Faction, or else to Ruler, depending on who they encountered first. Arturia, however, wanted to make sure her resolve to leave was set. With Charles' venomous comments about Homunculi, Arturia had found her desire to keep him as her Master waning.

She remembered Irisviel, the only person Kiritsugu Emiya gave a damn about, the living proof that the Magus Killer had a heart that he buried under his ruthless façade. As much as she despised her first Master for his actions and attitude, she knew his love for Irisviel was genuine. He didn't view a Homunculus as a disposable tool, despite her being the Lesser Grail. Oh, he treated Arturia like a tool, but Arturia, in his diatribe about heroes and the atrocities they inspired, caught a glimpse into his soul, the man who wanted to be a hero himself.

For all her hatred towards Kiritsugu, Arturia understood his attitude to some degree. And some of her rancour towards him had gone away when she heard tales from his son, Shirou, about how the Magus Killer had been as a father. But Kiritsugu, amongst so many others, taught her an important lesson. While honour might be disdained by many, there was one thing she could do, which was to do all she could to be able to look herself in the mirror in the morning, so to speak. And while saving every Homunculus in the Yggdmillennia stronghold was foolhardy, given that she'd be up against four other Servants, if not six if Command Seals were used…saving this one would be better than nothing.

Arturia was not a king anymore. But she was a knight. While some would argue that a knight's first loyalty was to their king or lord, Arturia believed that a knight was to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. Iskandar may have derided her taking on this mindset as a king, and she would not be as suicidal as her previous Master, whose alternate future stalked alongside her as they continued on, but they could not force her to stand by and allow suffering. Not anymore.

Plus, Mordred's taunts had affected her more than she'd care to admit.

They soon found Astolfo and Kay amongst the wreckage of a number of golems. Charles glared at Astolfo. "You moron!" Charles snapped. "What the hell do you think you're doing, helping that doll escape?! You know your Master is going to punish you for this! Celenike is like Bellatrix Lestrange's Magus cousin, and yet you've gone and done something stupid like this!"

"I don't care! He's not a doll, he's a person!" Astolfo protested.

"What is wrong with you idiots?!" Charles snapped, before pointing at Kay. "IT is not a human being! IT is just a robot, made by magic instead of technology! IT has no Merlin-damned say in the matter of how it is used! My mother betrayed us for a thing like that, and I refuse to allow any of you to stop me from dragging that doll back!"

Arturia decided that enough was enough. Excalibur was at his neck. It was meant as a signal to EMIYA that she was ready to defect, but while she wasn't about to kill her soon-to-be ex-Master, her anger was genuine. "We are Heroic Spirits," she said coldly. "And you are a bully who can't accept that a Homunculus can be a person too."

Charles stared at the blade of Excalibur, wreathed in Invisible Air, but while fear was in his features, anger was there too. "So, you'd betray me for a doll too?" he hissed. "If you kill me, or remove my Command Seals, then you lose your mana supply."

"…I'd rather die than be your Servant any longer," Arturia said, before slashing down at his hand, the one with the Command Seals, only to find EMIYA intercepting her blade.

"Allow me to grant you your wish," EMIYA said, beginning to force her away from the Homunculus, and Charles.

This was a bit of theatricality, as they fought, forcing themselves away from the others. Far enough away to keep the others out of the way of what was to follow. Then, Arturia was trapped in a familiar cage of blades, as Archer began a familiar incantation…

"_I am the bone of my sword,_

_Steel is my body, and fire is my blood._

_I have created over a thousand blades,_

_Unknown to death, _

_Nor known to life._

_Have withstood pain to create many weapons,_

_Yet these hands will never hold anything._

_So, as I pray, UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS!_"

The sudden feminine gasp was the only warning they had that someone else had gotten caught up in the burning shockwave of the Reality Marble's appearance. As the familiar desolate plain materialised, massive turning gears floating in the sky with virtually no logic to their placement, Arturia saw Ruler standing on that plain, looking around in awe…and perhaps a little horror. "…A Reality Marble…it's rare even for a Servant to possess such a thing."

"I am sure. Ruler, I'll need you to play along with this little farce we have scripted out," EMIYA said. "Arturia here wishes to defect from the Black Faction to help that Homunculus. I intend to help her do so, but I have to fake her demise."

"…And why should I do so?" Ruler asked. It was a genuine question.

"Because there's something very wrong with this Grail War. We have come from a different timeline," EMIYA explained. "And one of the Masters of Red has a familiar name to us both: Shirou Kotomine. I will remain with Yggdmillennia, but Arturia has had a crisis of conscience. If it is at all possible for you to have Kay, the Homunculus, claim sanctuary with you, then do so. Arturia will use Kay as her new Master."

"…But how?"

EMIYA smirked, before Projecting Rule Breaker, an iridescent, zig-zagging ritual dagger. "This Noble Phantasm nullifies all kinds of magecraft, including the bond between Servant and Master. Arturia will fill you in on the details of our suspicions, suspicions you need to hear. But first…" He slammed Rule Breaker into an unresisting Arturia's chest, and in a flare of light, her link with Charles Potter and the Homunculi was removed. He then flung the Projected copy of the Invisibility Cloak at Arturia. They were lucky that EMIYA checked, and it wasn't a divine construct, just a high-level wizarding Mystic Code. "Make sure only to remove that when you're sure Caster's familiars are no longer around…"

* * *

Arturia watched the ensuing confrontation with unease. While this felt like a betrayal in some regards, she was also ill at ease at relying on the Homunculi for mana, at least without their consent. EMIYA had been berated for killing Arturia by Vlad, despite EMIYA claiming that she had betrayed them for the Homunculi, and had attacked EMIYA for his actions against her. Charles' own attacks against his former Servant were silenced by a look from the Lancer. Thankfully, Avicebron, while still wanting Kay back, didn't press the issue, and Vlad had decided to only punish Astolfo. Hopefully, Astolfo wouldn't be punished too hard. Then, Jeanne took Kay away, and Arturia followed, keeping an eye out for Avicebron's golem familiars.

Along the way, she listened to Kay and Jeanne speak. Kay seemed saddened by Arturia's passing. Arturia looked around. They had emerged from the forest where everything had happened, and she couldn't see any sign of Avicebron's golems, so she eventually shucked off the Invisibility Cloak. "I am heartened to find that I made a favourable impression, Kay, but I have some small guile."

"…You're alive?"

"Indeed. The short version is that I could not stand to be supplied mana by your fellow Homunculi without their consent. I would like to make a contract with you to become your Servant, but willingly. If not, I might have to find another way of doing this," Arturia said.

"No, no…you helped save my life. I'd be honoured to become your Master…though I don't want to be a Master like that," Kay said. "Ordering you around and all."

Jeanne nodded. "Before you do so, Arturia, are you in danger of fading yet?"

"Not yet. I may not possess Independent Action, but my mana reserves are adequate for some time," Arturia said.

"Very well. I am a bit perturbed that you would leave your side so willingly, but if it is a crisis of conscience…"

"Jeanne…it is more than that."

"I can imagine. I was going to ask for an explanation, anyway."

Arturia nodded, and launched into a discourse about what she had learned about the Black Faction, as well as her concerns about Shirou Kotomine. Jeanne considered this, before nodding. "So…in your timeline, 'Kotomine' was the name of the Church agent who suborned Lancer and acted in his own interests in the Grail War. And Shirou was the name of your former Master."

"Indeed. I cannot stress how disturbed that has made me feel. There are too many coincidences in this Grail War. The name may be a pure coincidence, and yet…"

"I understand. I have already spoken to Lily Evans, the Master of what was once Assassin of Black. She believes that Shirou Kotomine and his Servant, Assassin of Red, have suborned most of the other Masters of Red, save for herself, and the Masters of Saber and Caster of Red. As it is, I would like to call Lily Evans and let her know of your suspicions. Once we have done so, I will go and question them myself. There is a lot going wrong with this Grail War, and I need to get to the bottom of it…"

**CHAPTER 12 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Well, that just happened.**

**Now, it's worth pointing out that Charles has a LOT of issues when it comes to Homunculi. He only accepts them having souls because you need a soul for magic circuits (and a wizard's core). In truth, he thinks of them as little more than non-sentient robots that should obey, thanks in part to his father's brainwashing. That his mother considered Harry to be human and to give him preferential treatment that Charles himself believes he deserves is more than he can bear.**

**However, his attitude to Servants is actually different. Unlike Gordes, who thought they were merely familiars who jumped when their Masters barked, Charles knows they're human beings, or were once, which is why he calls Astolfo an idiot. To have Arturia effectively leave him for this Homunculus reeks of what happened with his mother all over again, and he's going to be very down…and, in that state, he's going to discover what happened to Padfoot. And that's when you'll see Charles truly begin a heel-face turn.**

**Anyway, I dunno when the next chapter will be out. However, I have at least one other ****_Fate/Apocrypha_**** fic in the offing. Although my original version of that story had a Harry/Nero pairing (and fans of that pairing, don't despair, for I still intend to do a story with Nero as part of the pairing), I eventually decided to combine it with the concept of ****_King of His Heart_****, my abortive Harry/Arturia story, where Harry is the reincarnation of Salazar Slytherin (for further details, look it up in the Cauldron). I'm still working on it, and it may be a while before it comes out, if at all, but rest assured, it's a nice alternative, especially for those who don't want another WBWL fic. Plus, with Harry, Arturia and Jeanne on a roadtrip through Romania, it also offers a slightly different perspective on the Great Holy Grail War.**

**Review-answering time! ****MWkillkenny84****: Only in that he (amongst others) have influenced Arturia to be just a tad more flexible with her honour.**

**SentinelSlice****: Tamamo figured out his Tracing ability because he identified them so quickly, despite their precautions. That, combined with his Projection, had her realise that he used Structural Analysis on their weapons, and thus identify them that way. Medea could have figured it out, but keep in mind, EMIYA didn't identify his opponents as readily as he did here (which, admittedly, was more psychological warfare with a touch of trolling).**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	14. Chapter 13: Conference

**CHAPTER 13:**

**CONFERENCE**

Mordred stared at Lily in disbelief. "You're shitting me."

"One, language," Lily said. "Two, I am not. Arturia, it seems, has defected from Yggdmillennia, having faked her own death. At the moment, she's protecting the Homunculus who escaped, Kay. Her former Master, Charles, is rather upset."

"Good," Harry said darkly. "He deserves it, and more. He stole many of my friends away from me, destroyed my reputation in Britain…and called me a doll. A defective doll." He gritted his teeth as he touched his scars. "Having a Servant like King Arthur is more than he deserves."

"Harry," Lily said sharply, but quietly. "Charles was brainwashed by Potter. If we're lucky, this might be the wake-up call he needs."

"If he didn't get the memo when you took my side, then he never will!" Harry snapped. "Face it, Mum, he's like Dudley! Only, I don't think he's got what it takes to turn his life around, not like Dudley! Did it seem like his attitude towards us has changed?" Lily's silence was telling. "Yeah, I thought so. Even if Potter has brainwashed him, he's a shit human being! The best thing about this situation is that he's not a Master anymore, and Yggdmillennia are now down a Saber."

"Though they now have Berserker of Red captured," Lily said.

"There also seems to be discontent in their camp," Kairi said. "Archer helped Arturia fake her death, and Astolfo wanted to help the Homunculus."

"His name is Kay, according to what I overheard," Lily said.

"…But why him?" Mordred asked. "Why is Father sympathising with a Homunculus now? I mean, I'm a Homunculus! And yet…"

"Mordred," Lily said, gently drawing the Knight of Betrayal into a hug. "…Maybe she does feel guilty about what happened with you. Look, if we meet again…give her a chance, okay?"

"…You're not my Mum," Mordred muttered.

"…And isn't that a good thing?"

Mordred chuckled softly. "…Yeah. You get under my skin…but you want to be nice, don't you? Even to me."

"Harry went through much of what you went through, learning that his life was a lie, and that his father wasn't all he was supposed to be," Lily said quietly. "But he had some of his friends to fall back on, those who stayed by his side…and he had me. Mordred…many of us here are outcasts. I was marginalised at Hogwarts because I was a Muggleborn. Harry was treated like a servant by the Dursleys, and given the fickle nature of his fame, was considered a celebrity or a potential Dark Lord by the sheeple of Magical Britain. Kairi here, well, his being a necromancer is bad enough, but he can be pretty ruthless on the job. Some compare him to the Magus Killer."

Kairi scoffed. "Old Kiritsugu's way more ruthless than I ever was. People just don't like necromancers."

Lily nodded. "Tamamo's love in life was rejected by the man she loved, and she was killed by the very people she wanted to understand." The fox-woman smiled rather ruefully. "And Jackie…well, I was surprised when one of the most infamous serial killers in the world was just a little child looking for love and warmth. Speaking of which, she'll be back soon, so I'd better get the hot chocolate ready."

Mordred couldn't help but chuckle as Lily went to the kitchen area of the wizarding tent, turning on a kettle. "She spoils the brat, doesn't she?"

Harry shared the chuckle. "…She was a bit like that once she got out of hospital. I had to keep reminding her that I was a teenager, I didn't need to be coddled or spoiled. She just wanted to make up for lost time. It's enough knowing I have a parent who actually does care about me…our arguments aside."

"Well, let's add to that a foxy adoring wife," Tamamo said, sauntering over and sitting next to Harry, nuzzling into him. "Still…that is rather concerning, what Lily mentioned, that Archer of Black, regardless of the fact that he helped Arturia defect, has a Reality Marble. That's one big trump card."

"What's a Reality Marble?" Mordred asked.

Kairi looked up from where he was preparing some of his Mystic Codes. "A mental world that can superimpose itself on reality, temporarily. It uses a helluva lot of mana because Gaia tries its damned best to erase it."

Lily nodded as the kettle boiled, and she prepared Jackie's hot chocolate, along with tea (for herself, Tamamo and Harry) and coffee (for Kairi). "Waver Velvet's Rider Servant, Iskandar, had one, the Ionian Hetairoi. Basically, it was a world containing his army from his life. But they're rare amongst Heroic Spirits, let alone Magi. Just possessing one's an automatic Sealing Designation. Of course, of more concern is the fact that they're both from an alternate timeline, Archer and Arturia. Archer is apparently a future version of Kiritsugu's adopted son Shirou, albeit as a Counter Guardian. And in their timeline, Kirei Kotomine had suborned the Lancer of their Grail War."

"I remember what you said when explaining this, Mum, and it sounds insane," Harry said. "We just don't have enough pieces of the puzzle. The only thing we know for sure is that Shirou Kotomine and Semiramis are as much our enemies as Yggdmillennia are, especially if they've got control of the other Red Faction's Servants."

"We know the identity of those Servants, at least," Kairi said. "Lancer is Karna, Archer is Atalanta, and Rider is Achilles. Any known weaknesses for them?"

"For Karna or Atalanta, I've no idea," Lily said. "My knowledge of Indian myth is pretty dismal, and the only time Atalanta was beaten at something was because the person in question cheated. Achilles obviously has his heels, but he'd be aware of that weakness, and keep in mind, cocky though he is, he's also a skilled warrior. We'll also need to think about Spartacus, as the Black Faction may use him soon."

"We're back!" chirped Jackie as she entered the tent.

Lily smiled, and handed Jackie a mug of hot chocolate. "Welcome back, Jackie. Be careful, it's hot."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle at the look on Jackie's face as she blew out some breath on her chocolate to try and cool it down, a chuckle shared by virtually everyone present. One of the most infamous serial killers in the world, blowing on hot chocolate to cool it. "Here, allow me," Tamamo said, waving her hand.

A brief blast of cold air hit the mug, and Jackie frowned, before sipping from it. A look of joy came over her features, and she smiled at Tamamo. "Thanks, Miss Tamamo!" Jackie chirped.

Tamamo chuckled, and ruffled the silver hair of the former serial killer. "You're welcome. While I'm sure most Magi would not expend magic for such a trivial thing…well, I have power to spare."

The mood was interrupted when a sharp trill emanated from Lily's phone, and she answered it. "Hello? Ah, yes. I'll put you on speakerphone." As she laid the phone on a table, activating the speakerphone function, she said, "Everyone, this is Jeanne d'Arc on the line, the Ruler Servant of this Holy Grail War."

After some greetings were made, Jeanne said, "_Forgive me for getting down to business, but there have been considerable developments overnight. You have spoken to them about the circumstances of my summoning, Lily Evans?_"

Lily nodded. "I am also aware of Saber of Black, aka Arturia Pendragon, defecting to your side to protect that Homunculus. I had Jack the Ripper tailing the three of you."

"_Good, that saves some time going into an explanation. But why have your Assassin tail me?_"

"We were curious about what you were going to do with the Homunculus. Kay, I believe Arturia called him?"

"_Yes. So you overheard our concerns about the Church agent with the Red Faction? Then I should get to the point. I am aware that wizards have the ability to examine their memories to look for things they may have missed._"

"Yes, via Pensieve. I bring one with me on my missions just in case I need to re-examine my briefings, or else see whether I missed something in meeting a suspect."

"_Then that saves me time. I might be able to pick up something that you may not have noticed. In addition…I have a Skill relating to my class, True Name Discernment, allowing me to identify any Servant present. I don't know whether it will be useful within a Pensieve memory, but_…"

Harry frowned. "Hold up, are you suggesting that Shirou Kotomine may be a Servant?"

"_It is a possibility that had occurred to me only just prior to calling you. When I spoke with Arturia about the previous Grail War, she mentioned that one of the divergence points between her timeline and this one is that the von Einzberns summoned different atypical Servants. Arturia believed the atypical Servant in her timeline to be an Avenger, Angra Mainyu. But in this timeline, she learned from Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia that a Ruler Servant like myself had been summoned. However, a Ruler Servant shouldn't be summoned in a standard Holy Grail War, not normally._"

Tamamo held up a finger, even if Jeanne couldn't see it. "Now, Miss Ruler, if I recall what we heard correctly, a Ruler has to be some kind of saint, correct? If we follow your line of reasoning and believe that Shirou, despite his appearance, is a Ruler Servant who somehow persisted after the last Grail War, then who is he? He looks to be of my country, and yet I don't believe there are that many Japanese saints, unless he is using some sort of disguise."

"_It doesn't need to be Christian sainthood…umm, who was that?_"

"Tamamo-no-Mae, Caster of Red."

"_Ah. Sorry, I can't discern your name over the phone, Caster. A Ruler does not even have to be religious, and it is certainly not restricted to Christianity. Candidates for a Ruler Servant are understandably rare, though. In order to ensure impartiality, the Servant in question should not have a wish for the Holy Grail, though if the von Einzberns tampered with the Grail to summon a Ruler, they may have summoned a Heroic Spirit who does have a desire for the Grail. Or maybe they have developed one anyway, if Shirou Kotomine is a Ruler who has persisted after the Grail War._"

"It does make a little sense, though," Kairi said. "During the last Fuyuki Grail War, the Church Overseer was Risei Kotomine. If he took in Ruler, that could explain the last name."

"It's dangerous to make assumptions, though," Lily said. "But as Shirou Kotomine being a Ruler Servant is one of the worst case scenarios, we'll keep that in mind, if only to prepare for the worst."

"_Then I would like you to meet me in a neutral location_," Jeanne said. "_I would prefer to keep this low-key, so bring only one Servant. Whether that be Jack the Ripper or another Servant, it's up to you._"

"Hold up a moment," Mordred said. "Are you with Father right now?"

"…_I am here, Mordred_," came the voice of Arturia over the phone's speaker.

"Then I am coming. I ain't gonna start something, not unless it comes to that," Mordred said. "I want Lily to be right, Father. I wanna believe that we can start over. You said you never hated me for being Morgan's child. I want you to _prove_ that."

"…_Mordred, much has changed for me since we last met. This is my third Holy Grail War, even if two of those were in another timeline. Perhaps I can understand you better. Or perhaps I should say that I want to._"

"_Mordred_," Jeanne's voice came through sternly. "_While I will accept your coming, it will be solely on the condition that you behave yourself. I can halt any attack you make if need be._"

"You're not my mother," Mordred retorted. Then, not quite under her breath, she muttered, "For which we should all be grateful…"

* * *

EMIYA wandered through the castle in Astralized form. He hoped Arturia and Ruler would be able to get to the bottom of this mess. As it was, he'd been chewed out by the elder Potter, for killing Arturia needlessly, when a Command Seal could have brought her to heel. He had to wonder about that, to tell the truth, but he knew that James Potter was not trusted within Yggdmillennia, merely tolerated for the fiscal and wizarding resources he brought. In fact, he was almost certain that James Potter intended a coup d'etat. He wasn't exactly being subtle with the treasonous looks he shot Darnic.

It was when he got into the Homunculi tank chamber, however, that he saw a confrontation. A rather dishevelled-looking Charles was in the chamber was shouting at Avicebron and Roche, near a tank with…not a Homunculus in it, but the man EMIYA learned was Sirius Black.

"…Did you say?" Charles was asking, a look of horror on his face.

Roche opened his mouth to respond, but Avicebron shot him a glare, an impressive sight for one whose eyes were concealed by his mask. "This is a restricted area, Charles Potter. Sirius Black is being kept in confinement due to his being a flight risk. The oxygenated liquid keeps him drugged and unable to Apparate."

"I heard this little brat say something about Padfoot being used as a reactor core! I thought you were going to use one of the dolls for your damned mega-golem!" Charles was yelling.

Avicebron crossed his arms. "And tell me, why should you care? Sirius Black is a traitor to your father and yourself, something I hear so wearily often from your father. The fool wants to torture Sirius Black, something that I cannot countenance."

"…You're a liar! My father wouldn't do something like that!"

"Would too!" Roche retorted.

"Shut up, you golem-obsessed brat, the adults are talking," Charles sneered.

"If that is the case, then I believe I am talking to myself," Avicebron snarked. "Lord Darnic has given approval to Sirius Black being used as the reactor core for my Noble Phantasm. Consider the consequences for going against him before you speak such foolish things. The same goes for you, Lord Potter."

"…You forget yourself, Caster," James said, as he strode up to Charles. "You would not want to make an enemy of me."

"I am shaking in my boots," Avicebron retorted. "Have you come to try and take out your frustrations on your former compatriot once more? Remember Lord Darnic's proclamation. Sirius Black is mine to do with as **_I_** see fit. Not you."

"He is a traitor! He tried to kill me! Me, when my family took him in, when befriending a Black was political suicide! He's no better than the rat or the werewolf!"

"…Then let me make it perfectly clear to you, James Potter. Should you defy Lord Darnic's orders, I will petition Lord Darnic to ensure that your son takes Sirius Black's place instead. I'm sure one powerful wizard is as good as another. _He_ has no Servant now, and I'm sure Lord Darnic can find a more suitable match for Fiore. Or perhaps _you_ can take Sirius Black's place…though I'm not sure whether I want my Noble Phantasm tainted by the likes of you."

James opened his mouth to retort, only for Charles to say, "You knew about this."

James, unthinkingly, said to Charles, "And what of it? He is a traitor, Charles. Traitors have to be dealt with harshly. The Black bloodline should have been dealt with years ago, anyway."

"Considering the treachery you're plotting against Lord Darnic, I daresay you know a lot about treachery," Avicebron said. "And your son there stinks of an alchemical preparation in his body. A loyalty potion, combined with one that exaggerates anger and resentment, and one that remains in the body for years? My, my, you really are paranoid about him remaining loyal to you, aren't you?"

Before Charles could even think about that, there was a strobe of red light, and he collapsed from a Stunner. "What I do to my son is none of your business. I have been betrayed too many times to not take precautions. And you threaten his life at your peril, Servant. If I wish, I could call upon my Berserker to crush you."

"Yes, I am sure Heracles would be a formidable opponent. But nobody is invincible. Certainly not you."

As James Potter took his son away with an angry snarl, Avicebron turned to where EMIYA was. "I know you are there. Do you think I would not take precautions?"

EMIYA Deastralized. "Given the arrogance of some Magi, it's possible. Even a Caster can get lax."

"…A fair point," Avicebron said with a nod. "Roche, could you go down and check on the golem creation workshop?" After his Master cum student scurried away, Avicebron looked at EMIYA. "An Archer, but who was once a Magus who specialised in Projection, especially Noble Phantasms. I heard you even had a Reality Marble, according to Ruler. A powerful trump card."

"Thank you. But you didn't want to talk to me about niceties, did you?"

"No. While I'm sure your loyalties are to your Master, the ambitions of your Master's would-be father-in-law are concerning. And I learned from Lancer that you fought in another Grail War against both Saber and Berserker, albeit in another timeline. So I have to ask, what strategies would you suggest for use against Berserker?"

"All-out attack. Heracles is a monster, and has a Noble Phantasm that allows him to cheat death a dozen times, one for each of his Twelve Labours. He is also ridiculously agile and perceptive for a beast subsumed by Mad Enhancement. Your golems would be little more than a delaying tactic, I daresay."

"We captured Spartacus, the Berserker of Red, with them. I daresay they can at least hinder Zeus' bastard son," Avicebron said.

"And why do you ask me this?"

"Because I will brook no interference in my quest to finish Golem Keter Melkuth. Anything that threatens that is undesirable. I have no desire for the Grail or Akasha, merely finishing my Noble Phantasm. So, EMIYA, I will warn you, if you value your Master's happiness, I would suggest helping me keep that egotistical fool away, lest I use his son as a replacement reactor core. It will be our trump card in the battles to come, and Lord Darnic knows it. And if need be…"

"You want me to kill him."

"Lord Darnic would understand."

EMIYA nodded, though inside, he was frowning. He knew things were complicated, but it seemed like things were just getting ever more tangled up. He just hoped Arturia was doing better than he was…

**CHAPTER 13 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, that just happened. Next chapter (which I'm not sure when it'll be done), Moedred and Arturia have a somewhat more peaceful reunion…and Jeanne has a horrifying revelation.**

**Now, first, why has Jeanne suspected the presence of a Ruler Servant? The answer is that she's got more information this time around to put together, thanks to Arturia (as well as Lily discussing her suspicions about Shirou and Semiramis). She doesn't know for sure that Shirou Kotomine is a Servant, let alone a Ruler, and she doesn't know he's really Shirou Amakusa Tokisada, but she's worried that he may be the Ruler left over from the previous Grail War.**

**Secondly, the revelation about Charles Potter being potioned. I know a lot of you are going to be up in arms, and frankly, it's admittedly a bit of a copout in terms of my writing. However, I decided on it for a few reasons. I wanted him to be redeemable enough, and I hadn't done enough of that in writing previous chapters. James in this story seems like the sort of person who, like Dumbledore from other bashing works, would use loyalty potions after a certain point. The potions only enhance and exaggerate what is already there, and Charles already despises his mother and Harry, it's just that the potion basically makes him think of nothing else BUT hating them, blocking off any alternative way of thinking. I made it an alchemical potion (I think this was in ****_Harry Potter and the Daft Morons_**** by Sinyk) that would linger in the body, to ensure that Fiore didn't notice any potions.**

**Does Darnic know about this? He suspects, but doesn't care. As long as Charles Potter remains loyal to Yggdmillennia and does nothing to harm him or Fiore, he won't care. As for James, he wants to give him enough rope to hang himself with.**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	15. Chapter 14: Reunion and Revelation

**CHAPTER 14:**

**REUNION AND REVELATION**

Arturia watched the two approach the farmhouse. A red-haired woman that was presumably Lily Evans, and what was unmistakeably her child, albeit dressed in modern clothing. And daringly skimpy clothing to boot. The Grail supplied her with the terminology of daisy duke jeans, a tube top and a leather jacket.

Jeanne d'Arc had asked the owner, an elderly man called Serge, if she could stay temporarily, and that Kay and Arturia would have slightly more permanent accommodation. The old man accepted. Hopefully, it would be a decision he didn't regret.

Jeanne and Lily greeted each other courteously, and they opted to commandeer one of Serge's rooms, while the man himself went out to work on his truck. It meant that Arturia and Kay were, more or less, alone with Mordred. Mordred seemed to avoid looking at Arturia at first, instead looking Kay up and down. "So, you're the Homunculus Father saved."

"And Astolfo…I mean, the Rider of Black," Kay said, looking a bit nervous. "Saber…Arturia, she called me Kay, after her brother. She was telling me about you."

Mordred finished appraising him, before she said, "Well…you're a scrawny little wimp, not like the real Sir Kay. But I guess you've got time to grow and learn." She then frowned as she spotted the crimson sigil on his hand. "Command Seals?"

"He agreed to become my Master," Arturia said. "I would rather obtain mana from someone willingly than to siphon it from the unconsenting."

Mordred nodded thoughtfully, unusual for her, before she said, "Hey, Kay, I need to speak with my father for a bit. Just sit tight, okay?"

Kay nodded, albeit somewhat nervously, while Mordred walked out of the farmhouse, and leaned up against a wall. Arturia followed. "…What did you wish to talk about?"

"…Fuck, I dunno now," Mordred muttered sullenly. It was so strange, seeing that face, so much like her own, even if it was more savage and tomboyish. "So many bloody things I wanted to talk about, I dunno where to start. Okay, so…how about we start with why the hell you've changed so much? Lily said something about you being in other Grail Wars in other timelines."

"Indeed. In the timeline I came from, the von Einzberns summoned Avenger rather than Ruler. The Greater Grail stayed in Fuyuki, Japan. I was summoned to two Holy Grail Wars. The first, I was the Saber Servant of Kiritsugu Emiya, the Magus Killer. In the second, I was the Servant of his adopted son, Shirou."

"Yeah, I heard about Emiya and his kid. From what I heard about my Master, he sounds pretty rough. Okay, my Master's a necromancer and a mercenary, but he's pretty fun."

"I doubt you would have liked being Kiritsugu's Servant, Mordred, despite your rather relaxed attitude towards chivalry," Arturia said. "He was a brutal pragmatist of the highest order, with no real love for anything, save for his wife and daughter. He tricked the Master of Lancer into forcing Lancer into committing suicide. Lancer, Diarmuid of the Love Spot, was a good and honourable man, but he died, cursing us all and choking on his blood. The Rider of that Grail War, Iskandar, said I was not fit to be King, and Kiritsugu demeaned the very nature of heroism itself. It made me think about how I ruled. What shook me most, Mordred…was facing Berserker. Berserker was none other than Lancelot."

"…What the actual _fuck_. The Knight of the Lake was a bloody Berserker? But you won, right?"

"…I won the battle, but my heart and soul were struck with grievous wounds. I will not bore you with everything that happened since, only that I began to think about my flaws, what I did wrong as King of the Britons. One of my mistakes was how I treated you, Mordred. When I realised what you were, I refused to consider the possibility that, even if you were unworthy of being a king, I could shape you into one. I did not truly hate you for being Morgan's child, not after the initial shock died down. I blamed Morgan for seducing and raping me for my seed. You remember what Sir Tristan used to say, that the King does not understand human feelings. He was more correct than I would ever acknowledge at the time. I certainly did not understand your feelings towards me, Mordred."

Mordred looked at her, frowning in thought, before she looked away. "…I'm not sure **_I_** understand my feelings. I adored you, looked up to you, and I didn't care about your perfection, not until you refused me. Just…answer me this. Why did you help out that Homunculus kid when you didn't help me?"

"…It was many things. For one, he was someone in need of help. Even now, Avalon nestles within him, extending his life. For another…I saw in him my failures with you. If I could not save you, or indeed anyone else from Camelot, then I could at least save one person. My previous Master, Shirou…he rubbed off on me somewhat. He reminded me of what it means to be a knight."

"…And yet here you are, rebelling against your Master like me," Mordred scoffed quietly. Her eyes then met Arturia's. "…Did you really mean it, back at Camlann, when you said you didn't hate me?"

"…Yes. I still despise what you did to our kingdom, Mordred, but I don't truly hate you."

"…Then prove it. _Please_."

Hesitantly, Arturia gently wrapped her arms around her child, who stiffened briefly, before relaxing into the embrace. For the first time, they embraced. It was not a complete reconciliation, a wholehearted acceptance of their relationship. Rather, it was the first step, a parent and child truly acknowledging the depths of their relationship, and what had to be done to repair it.

Then, too soon, they broke it off. "So…what now?" Mordred asked.

"…For now, Kay intends to stay out of the fighting," Arturia said. "But given the way he speaks of the Homunculi, I suspect it won't be long before he wishes to mount some sort of rescue. Both the Archer and Rider of the Black Faction are our allies, but Rider's Master is a vicious sadist."

"Yeah, well, Yggdmillennia are small potatoes compared to what we considered. That that priest may be a Ruler Servant," Mordred muttered. "Hell only knows what he wants with the Grail…"

* * *

If you'd asked Harry what he would be doing after Hogwarts, then babysitting one of history's most notorious serial killers with the help of a goddess-turned-_kitsune_ and a necromancer wasn't what he thought he'd be doing. And yet, here he was, doing just that, playing a certain card game with her. The scary thing was, Jack the Ripper picked up the basics of playing _Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters_ too easily…

"You activated my Trap Card!"

Harry winced. Tamamo, meanwhile, smirked. "Heavens me, I don't see Astolfo there on that card."

Jackie tilted her head rather quizzically. "Huh? What do you mean, Big Sis Tamamo?"

"You'll find out when you're older," Harry said, shooting Tamamo a look.

"Pfft, it's not hard. A trap can, amongst other things, mean a boy who dresses as a girl, and looks so much like them, you normally can't tell on first glance," the _kitsune_ scoffed.

"Ohhh…well, that wouldn't work with us," Jackie said. "We can tell whether they're a boy or a girl by smell."

"Proper little bloodhound, aren't you?" Kairi muttered, from where he was working on his Mystic Codes. "I'd hate to be on your bad side."

"You look mean, but you aren't mean, Mr Sisigou," Jackie said. "As long as you don't hurt us or those we care about, we're fine."

They continued the game, only for Harry to luck out. "Exodia: Obliterate!" he cheered. He barely managed to win that one. For a Victorian urchin who was a gestalt entity that may never have played any card games, Jackie had done frustratingly well.

Jackie pouted, flinging down her cards and crossing her arms in a cute manner. "No fair," she muttered sullenly. "Mean Exodia and its stupid Noble Phantasm."

"Hey, you just needed to believe in the Heart of the Cards more…well, dumb luck, anyway(1)," Harry said, reaching across and ruffling Jackie's hair. "Besides, there's more to Noble Phantasms than just wiping out your opponents."

Tamamo nodded. "Look at your own Noble Phantasms, Jackie. You can summon a poisonous mist to affect your foes, and I'd hate to be on the receiving end of Maria the Ripper, even if the full conditions weren't met."

"Don't worry. You won't," Jackie said, hopping onto Tamamo's lap. "We want to be part of one big family, with no sadness."

Tamamo chuckled sadly. "…No family is without sadness or hatred or anger. But the best ones are where the happiness and love and warmth outweighs all that."

Kairi muttered, "Hey, hey, knock it off, I'm gonna get diabetes from all the sweet stuff."

Before anyone could retort, the sound of Harry's phone went off. He answered it. "Hello?"

"_Harry, it's me_," Lily's voice said, her tone urgent. "_Put me on speakerphone, __**now**__._"

Harry did so, placing it on the small table he had been playing the card game with Jackie. "Okay, we're listening. I presume it's bad news."

"_Very bad. Kairi, you probably know who I'm talking about more when I say we know who Shirou Kotomine really is_," Lily said.

"So, Ruler was able to find out who he really was?" Kairi asked.

"_Indeed_," Ruler's voice came from the speakerphone. "_He is a Japanese saint, specifically of the Catholic faith. In fact, he's a martyr. What is more, he used his first name in his dealings with you._"

Kairi's eyes widened in sudden realisation. "…No way…are you telling me that that kid is Shirou Amakusa Tokisada?!"

"…Who?" Harry asked.

"Oh, right, you've probably not heard of him," Kairi said. "He's not that well known outside of Japan. Back in the 1600s, there was a major rebellion against the Shogunate. The uprising was led by a group of Japanese Catholics. I'm simplifying what happened, but Christianity wasn't liked much in Japan at the time. Anyway, the leader of this rebellion, at the tender age of 17, was Shirou Amakusa Tokisada, a kid said to be a miracle worker. The Shogun's forces killed him, as well as 40,000 of his followers."

"_Indeed. He has not been recognised as a saint by the Vatican, but he is considered a folk saint in Japan to this very day_," Jeanne said. "_However, if your theory is correct and he has suborned the rest of the Red Faction, then he is our enemy. I cannot be sure whether he truly qualifies as a Ruler Servant, but the von Einzberns presumably summoned him in Japan in that class due to him being one of the most famous saints of that country. They doubtlessly believed that being on his home turf would have strengthened him, just as Darnic summoning Vlad III in Romania strengthens him._"

"So, what are we going to do about it?" Harry asked.

"_There's an extra factor at play_," Lily said. "_Ruler can't discern his Noble Phantasm, possibly because he is a Ruler himself. However, she could discern Semiramis'. And I'm afraid it's not good. Semiramis can recreate the Hanging Gardens of Babylon as a flying fortress. And while it needs a lot of money and materials from Babylon invested into it, it's likely that Shirou has managed to grant her this._"

"So, what do we do? Confronting a Ruler Servant would be suicide. We have three Servants of our own, but if he has the same skills as you, he could learn their weaknesses with ease, possibly even control them," Kairi pointed out. "Plus, he can order the other Red Servants to defend him. And I doubt that Darnic would be open to an alliance, and the Potters even less so."

"_I am considering the possible avenues. For now, I am considering talking with my fellow Ruler under a flag of parley, if only to discern what he wants. However, it may be that I contact Yggdmillennia about this. You may be correct that not all of them may be open to an alliance, but we may still need their assistance all the same_," Jeanne d'Arc said.

"James Potter will stab us in the back if he thinks he can get away with it," Harry said. "Okay, so would Darnic, but he'd only do it when the threat was over. Potter, however, will do it when he wants. He won't care if you're a Ruler Servant. He marches to nobody's beat but his own."

"_Your mother has already told me this, Harry, and I am prepared for possible treachery from that quarter._"

Jackie chose that moment to spoke up. "Miss Ruler, depending on where you go, may we come with you?"

"…_Why do you ask, Assassin?_" Jeanne d'Arc asked warily.

"If you go to meet Shirou, he may set that mean hag Semiramis on you. If you know my Noble Phantasms, then you know what we can do if need be."

"…_You speak of Maria the Ripper, don't you? It is at its most effective on a misty full moon night, against a female opponent, and even if you can summon your Mist, it only fulfils two of the three conditions for it to be at its most effective. In addition, while Semiramis is technically an Assassin, she is actually closer to a Caster in terms of her skillset. She could have defences that could work against another Assassin, to say nothing of techniques that could dispel your Mist. And if Shirou Kotomine has the abilities of a Ruler, he may have discerned your identity, and your Information Erasure skill may not work. In any case…I will ask for him to parley in neutral territory, away from the church or where Semiramis may be constructing her Noble Phantasm, as that way, I might be able to avoid any surprises Semiramis has set up. That being said, I appreciate the offer, Assassin. Thank you._"

"So what then?" Harry asked.

"…_I will consider what to do very soon. I will make the decision by tomorrow morning at the latest, but in all likelihood, by the evening. That being said, if necessary, I will ask for your assistance. A rogue Ruler Servant is potentially a greater threat than Darnic's ambitions. Or James Potter's, for that matter._"

"What about any of the other Servants of Red?" Tamamo asked. "Should we tell them?"

"…_It may work, but you'd have to seek them out first, and it may be that they ally with Shirou for their own reasons. I will let you know if and when I need any assistance_…"

**CHAPTER 14 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, there you have it. Arturia and Mordred have had a much-needed talk, and Jeanne knows who Shirou really is. Unfortunately, this will be the last chapter for a while, at least until the second half of ****_Fate/Apocrypha_**** comes out on Blu-Ray next month in Australia. I need to watch it to help me understand how to unknot this little clusterfuck I've just left the characters in. Plus, it might help me in writing a new ****_Fate/Apocrypha_**** crossover.**

**1\. This refers to a joke from LittleKuriboh's ****_Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series_****.**


	16. Chapter 15: Ruler and Ruler

**CHAPTER 15:**

**RULER AND RULER**

Now, one would think that James Potter, given his actions so far, had no real plan, no trump card to allow himself to triumph in his designs on Yggdmillennia and the Greater Grail. In truth, while arrogant and perhaps with an overinflated sense of his own intelligence (not helped by the flattery and manipulations of Dumbledore), he did have what he believed to be a trump card, and the problem was, he was correct. While it wouldn't make his position unassailable, it would make it much stronger than before.

He entered the vast chamber where the Greater Grail was, albeit with difficulty. He needed the Invisibility Cloak for this, and even that might not work against Servants. Still, he looked up at the Greater Grail. A massive hollow sphere with an opening in the middle, like a flower opening its petals. Through that opening, he saw the Greater Grail proper, a massive mass of feminine figures, clumped together.

He was actually moved by such beauty, taking a moment to stop and stare at it in wonder. He knew the origins of the Greater Grail, having done his research. Apparently, one of the top Homunculi of the von Einzberns, Justeaze, sacrificed herself to become the core of the Greater Grail. He had to admit, she must have been the most beautiful thing in the world.

But his dark, covetous and rapacious soul was not moved to any kind of redemption. Instead, he knew, as with everything he deemed worth his attention in the world, that it was his, and his alone. The only one deserving of the power to change the world was him. Soon, he would have everything he desired, no, everything he deserved. In his mind, as with so many others like him, there was no difference whatsoever. He would prove himself to be the supreme wizard of all time, above everyone else, and nobody would be able to stop him…

* * *

"…_C'est en pardonnant qu'on est pardonné, c'est en mourant qu'on ressuscite à l'éternelle vie. Amen._"

Kay watched on as Jeanne prayed to herself, kneeling. Arturia, Mordred, and Lily watched on. "What is she saying?" the Homunculus asked.

"It's a prayer. The Prayer of St Francis, actually," Lily said. "Though it's apparently older than St Francis. Jeanne is praying to God to give her peace and calm, presumably so she can make the decision on how to deal with Shirou properly. I'm not sure there is any real way to deal with him."

"But why does she pray?" Kay asked.

"Because it gives her comfort and composure," Lily said. "While I don't really believe in God anymore, and despise those who use God as an excuse to do what they wish, people who truly believe in God, and try to do good things, I admire. And while I had my doubts originally about Jeanne d'Arc…I have to admit, I admire her."

"I am heartened to learn that you believe this, Lily," Jeanne said, getting up off her knees, and turning to them. "That I was declared as a saint and held up as such is, to me, a disconcerting thought. I led my people into battle against the English, and while I believe I was following the will of God, I am not blind to the horrors of war. Indeed, that is why I helped you escape from that, Kay. I would rather you not get involved in such a thing, even if the Holy Grail War is a small-scale war. If you made the decision to go back and get involved, then I cannot stop you, but it is your decision alone, and I do not recommend it. You are, after all, a relative innocent to the world, a blank slate."

As Kay looked down, looking somewhat disheartened, Arturia nodded. "I agree, Kay. I have bound myself to you as your protector. But I too have seen the horrors of war. It is not something to charge into. I will obey your wishes if you decide to fight, but I would counsel against it."

"Speak for yourself," Mordred muttered. "Yggdmillennia are a bunch of arseholes for using Homunculi to siphon mana from, like they're fucking batteries. Don't get me wrong, if any of those fuckers they've got acting as soldiers get in my way, try to fight me, I'll kill them. But once we storm Yggdmillennia, I'll free every last one of your buddies, got it?"

"…But why?" Kay asked.

"Oi, I'm a Homunculus too. And given that Father's named you after family…well, in a way, it makes you my little brother. You're a scrawny little wimp, but nobody was a badass off the bat. Look, you've probably heard a little about how I rebelled against Father. But I'm also a knight. I may think chivalry's a load of horseshit, but I also try to protect others, the weak, those who can't help themselves."

Jeanne actually chuckled a little, and Mordred wheeled on her. "Oi, what was that, saint?"

"Nothing, nothing, it's just…I am a Ruler Servant, the adjudicator of this Grail War, and I should know much about whom I am dealing with. And yet…of all people, you surprise me most, Mordred. Your myth is one of darkest betrayal, and yet, here you are, treating Kay as someone you wish to protect. And in truth, this gladdens me. Because you are very much a good person, in spite of the turn your life took. It would have been a privilege to have someone like you fighting by my side, even if you did not believe in God, even if you despised many of the tenets of chivalry, for as long as you fought for those who couldn't do so themselves, I would have been glad." Her expression then became serious. "That being said, unless events prove otherwise, I must remain apart from the three factions. If need be, I will call on your help to deal with Shirou, or any other threats."

"We understand," Lily said, placing a hand gently on Mordred's shoulder, calming the ornery Saber a little. "Have you made your decision?"

"Yes. I intend to parley with Shirou, as one saint to another. If nothing else, I need to ascertain his motives, his desire for the Grail, and how far he will go to get it. Lily, do you have his contact details?"

* * *

A meeting was arranged, and Jeanne made her way, with Serge's help, to her destination, though not without contacting the former Assassin of Black and taking her up on her offer. The irony of her calling on an infamous serial killer for help wasn't lost on her, a pain enhanced by the knowledge of what her former comrade Gilles de Rais became. Then again, perhaps the child who was a conglomeration of many lost souls was not beyond salvation, given her Master, Lily. Perhaps all that Jack the Ripper needed was a mother's love.

She told Jack the Ripper to only observe what was happening, but only to intervene if Jeanne's life was in immediate danger. Instead, she was sitting at a café, in a town between Shirou's church and Trifas. She was a little nervous, admittedly, but she resolved herself. If she was lucky, Shirou could be reasoned with. But if she wasn't lucky…

She soon spotted him, approaching, dressed in simple priestly clothing, smiling a gentle smile. His tanned features were admittedly quite handsome, framed by that shock of spiky white hair. For all the man's evil deeds, this was not someone who saw himself as evil. Well, few people would ever think of themselves as evil, but there was an actual humility there that few with evil ambitions had. He truly believes that he is doing God's work, Jeanne realised.

"Good afternoon," Shirou said politely, sitting down at the café. "While I have no intention of violating parley, you'll forgive me if I didn't come alone. I have asked the Archer of Red to watch over us from a distance, as a precaution, you must understand."

"I have not come alone myself, Shirou Amakusa Tokisada. However, I will leave it at that. While I confess myself shocked that a fellow Ruler Servant has remained after the previous Grail War, I would hazard that the Greater Grail granted you a wish to become incarnated in this era, correct?"

"Of course," Shirou said. "So…is this the part where you try to trick me into telling you my plans? You seem to have mistaken me for the stereotypical villains of fiction, boasting about their plans and thus giving the heroes a chance to thwart them. But I am no villain, Jeanne d'Arc. I am merely doing God's work."

"By targeting me, and suborning the other Masters of the Red Faction?"

"Sadly, Jeanne, you are an obstacle, and I truly do regret such necessity," Shirou said. And it looked like he was actually genuinely regretful. "As for the others, well, Magi are such conceited people, are they not? They turn their back on morality so readily in pursuit of Akasha, never trying to pursue the betterment of all humanity. They are alive, and will remain so for the duration of the Grail War, Jeanne. I will only take a life when it is necessary."

"And what could be worth this…necessity?" Jeanne asked.

"Well, I did say that I would not divulge my plans…but while my means are not something I will discuss, the ends are another matter entirely. I wish for the salvation of all humanity, Jeanne d'Arc. As one who shares my faith, I am sure that, even if you disparaged my means, my goal is another matter."

"…You intend to use the Greater Grail to achieve that. And you clearly have some sort of plan, as the Greater Grail generally will not grant such a wish unless the one in contact with it has some idea as to the means, and while I believe your pride has blinded you to your sins, you are far from a fool."

"Correct."

"And yet, you are a Servant, leading a group of Servants to do your bidding in pursuit of this goal. The dead should not be given dominion over the living. In addition, a proper Ruler has no desire for the Grail themselves. The von Einzberns summoned you in order to gain an advantage, but they erred in summoning one with a wish for the Grail."

"I would consider that an insult, but I know you do not intend it as such, merely an observation," Shirou said, sipping at the tea that was delivered to the table shortly before. "I have the greatest of respect for you, Jeanne d'Arc. Your death is a necessity I take no pleasure in, as you are a hindrance to my plans. That is why I assented to this meeting. Indeed, should I fail to obtain the Greater Grail, then it is a sign that the Lord does not favour me. I do have doubts that He approves of my works. But I have been waiting for decades for this time, for when Darnic announced to the world his intentions. And I will admit, I do harbour some ill will towards the man."

"…He murdered your Master, did he not?"

"Yes. A lovely von Einzbern Homunculus. Illyasviel, her name was(1). A woman beautiful in both body and soul."

"…I'm sorry for your loss."

"I appreciate that. Still, you intend to oppose me."

"With every fibre of my being. Have you never considered that humanity may not wish for the salvation you grant them? Or that you fall prey to hubris in believing yourself to be doing the work of God?"

"Perhaps it is hubris. Perhaps humanity would not appreciate it. But if a better world results, then I will do everything in my power to attain my goal. Though I am curious…how did you find out about me?" When Jeanne held her tongue, Shirou sighed quietly. "Well, I suspect whom it is. Lily and Harry Evans, Mr Sisigou, and their respective Servants. I'm sure that if Darnic realised who I was, he would be sending everything he could at me. I wonder how you would feel asking a…well, I am not sure whether I could call him a man anymore, for help against me without…"

And suddenly, his eyes widened in shock, as did Jeanne's own, when she felt something suddenly snap out of existence in her memory. "What in God's name is this?" Jeanne murmured in shock.

"…I see. This is a surprise to you too. The Greater Grail…I cannot remember where it is located, not even as a general idea. I suspect where it is, but I cannot know for sure."

"…I too have the same problem." She looked up at Shirou. "There are few spells that can do such a thing. Our memories have not been modified directly, but rather, locked away."

"The Fidelius Charm," Shirou determined. "Unable to be used by Magi…but wizards are another matter entirely, according to the information we have from the Grail."

"But in order to use it, one has to know somewhat precise details of the information being locked away," Jeanne said. "And neither Lily nor Harry know where the Greater Grail is. But…given what they have told me of their history, one wizard does, and he's part of Yggdmillennia, though he also has his own ambitions. This must be the move he has made…"

* * *

James Potter smiled to himself as he left the massive basement chamber containing the Greater Grail. As of now, thanks to the Fidelius, he was the only one who knew where it was. They couldn't kill him, lest they lose the location of the Greater Grail forever. But he, on the other hand, could do so with impunity.

The Great Holy Grail War was now over. _He had __**won**_. Now, he just needed to deal with the more trifling details…

**CHAPTER 15 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Oh dear.**

**Now, I've started watching the second half of ****_Fate/Apocrypha_****, but it wasn't that that inspired this. I had this odd idea about Lily using the Fidelius to hide the Greater Grail somehow to tip the advantage towards the Red Faction. But then, it occurred to me. Until this point, I had, admittedly, been writing an overly assured James Potter who seemed to think he was invincible, without due cause. Now, while I could have continued writing him as a complete idiot, I decided that he actually had a plan that was quite elegant and a strong one, and creative. It doesn't necessarily mean it's foolproof, or that he isn't an overconfident idiot, but he's banking on using the Greater Grail as leverage over the Magi.**

**Now, apparently, when the Secret Keeper dies, the secret passes to those to whom the secret was told to, right? So what happens when the Secret Keeper has not told anyone? I'm putting in here, to give James some reason for being triumphant, is that the secret in question remains hidden either forever, or else takes years to come out from under the Fidelius. This is, admittedly, fanon I made up specifically for this fic…along with what is going to be the solution to the problem.**

**I literally only had this idea a few days before writing this chapter, so it's actually helped quite a bit in making James to be an actual legitimate threat and not just a cartoonish caricature. Which he admittedly is, but still…**

**Also, writing Jeanne and Shirou's confrontation was inspired by my watching of the first few episodes of the second half of the series. I mixed in variations of their dialogue, as well as to give a greater insight into Shirou. For all his Greater Good fixation, Shirou is perversely likeable as a villain, and while he and Jeanne are enemies, I decided to have him regret that necessity here, while they're just talking under parley.**

**I also thought to give Kay some more airtime. We'll see more of him later. I hope to have an entire chapter from his POV when he discusses his life with Arturia.**

**Now, unfortunately, I don't know when the next chapter will be out. I'm surprised I got this one out so early, but the Fidelius idea was too good not to use, as was a meeting between Shirou and Jeanne.**

**1\. The von Einzbern Homunculus who was their Master in the Third Holy Grail War is never named in canon, so instead of plucking a name from thin air, I decided to use Illya's name. I thought it'd be apt for Irisviel to name her daughter after an illustrious ancestor.**


	17. Chapter 16: Strange Bedfellows

**CHAPTER 16:**

**STRANGE BEDFELLOWS**

Lily pinched the bridge of her nose. She had returned to their base in the crypt, along with Mordred, shortly after Jeanne's return to Serge's farmhouse. So too had Jackie. "Devious. I have to give Potter this much, he actually thought of something that changes the game and swings it to his advantage. He'd need to add to it to ensure that it's as airtight as possible, but for all his faults, he's not stupid."

"Okay, I don't know enough about wizarding magic. I've heard of the Fidelius, that it was used to conceal your hideout during the war against Voldemort," Kairi said. "But how does it work, and are there any ways to work around it?"

"Not really. The magic is an ancient one. I studied the charm prior to it being used, though it was Dumbledore who cast it. Basically, it takes the quality of something and effectively locks it away within someone's soul. That someone is called the Secret Keeper. It can be the location of a hideout, the true identity of someone…while it does have limitations, it's not that many. And the thing is, the Secret Keeper has to voluntarily give up the information to another, or else write it down. You can coerce someone into giving the secret out, as Pettigrew showed, but if they have the wherewithal to withstand any coercion or torture…"

Tamamo sighed, her ears drooping. "And unfortunately, I don't have any knowledge that can help break it. Sorry."

Lily turned to Tamamo with a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Tamamo. I don't expect a Caster, not even one from the Age of the Gods, to know everything."

Tamamo perked up a little at Lily's reassurance. "Heavens me, Mother-in-Law, you know just what to say to make me feel better. But what if he dies?"

"A tricky question. If he has told the secret to anyone, which I doubt, the people he tells becomes default Secret Keepers. If we're lucky, he's told Charles. But something tells me he hasn't. However, if he dies without having told anyone, well, the Fidelius will eventually decay, but it could take a long time. In Egypt, there are tales of pharaoh's tombs suddenly appearing out of nothing, centuries, even millennia, after the death of the Secret Keeper. It could take even less time, a few years, months, weeks, days…but we don't know, and it's not something we can afford."

Mordred scowled. "So what, we let him have his pyrrhic victory?"

"Of course not. Clock Tower won't take too kindly to the Greater Grail being concealed like this. In addition, Potter has just made enemies of his own side. He has to have additional failsafes in place, just in case. But…there is one possible solution to this. However, it's a risky one. It means contacting the enemy."

Harry frowned. "Explain."

"Jackie was caught up in the Reality Marble that Archer of Black used. She witnessed what Archer used to break Arturia's contract with Charles. Archer has the ability to replicate Noble Phantasms, or rather, those that were some sort of weapon. The one he used was Rule Breaker."

Harry's eyes widened. "Medea's Noble Phantasm! Of course!"

"Sorry, what?" Mordred asked.

"Medea of Colchis was a winner of one of the auxiliary Holy Grail Wars," Lily explained patiently. "While she was an accomplished Magus, she only truly had a single Noble Phantasm, and it was Rank C. You can't use it much as a weapon. But if Medea ever got close enough to use it on someone or something, the potential effects are devastating. You see, Rule Breaker destroys and dissolves magic and magecraft. Not the innate magic of a person or a Servant, but it can reduce a magical object to its component parts, and it can sever the link between a Master and a Servant, allowing her to take them for her own. She used this to steal the Rider of that Grail War from his Master. Archer had encountered Medea, and knew how to use her Noble Phantasm. That's how he severed Arturia's contract with Charles."

Tamamo snapped her fingers. "Of course! You think it can remove the Fidelius!"

"It's possible. The Fidelius Charm is a magical contract of sorts, just like the contract between a Master and Servant. I'm not saying it's guaranteed, but it's the best option we have."

"Except how do we notify Archer of Black's Master?" Kairi asked. "And even if we can get the info to them, who's to say that they may disbelieve us? If they use Rule Breaker on James Potter, they could lose one of their Servants as well. I'm assuming your ex has one."

"He would, and he'd go for a powerful one. As Charles had Saber, and Darnic has Vlad Tepes as Lancer…it may be that he's gone for a Berserker. I could be wrong, but I don't think that effeminate Rider, Astolfo, would be his sort, we have Assassin, and I doubt he chose Caster. And you are correct. The problem is notifying the Master of Archer of Black, assuming he hasn't made his move against them already."

Suddenly, Lily's phone trilled, and she answered it. She then frowned, and placed it on speakerphone. "Okay, we can hear you, Shirou Amakusa Tokisada. What do you want?"

"_My, my, what hostility. Still, I can hardly blame you, given what you have learned. However, in light of what has happened, I have ordered a cessation of hostilities between us. It is clear that your ex-husband has made a rather interesting play, Miss Evans. Which is why I have decided to send you some help._"

"We don't need the help of some traitorous ex-Servant," Mordred sneered.

A sigh over the line. "_While I understand that you do not trust me, you can trust that I wish to clear up this matter before I make any move for the Greater Grail. I have therefore sent Archer and Rider of Red._"

"Atalanta and Achilles," Lily said. "What of Karna or Semiramis?"

"_Karna and Semiramis are overseeing a little project of ours. Miss Evans, we need not be enemies. I merely desire the salvation of all humanity._"

"Can it," Harry sneered. "You remind me too much of Dumbledore. Are you going to use the Greater Good to justify what you did? Jeanne may have had her faults…but I'll bet she never used that as an excuse. Or maybe you're going to claim that God told you to do this, instead of taking a good long look at the mirror."

There was a pause for a time, before Shirou said, "_I have spent seven decades agonising over my decisions, Harry Evans. If you do triumph over me, then I will accept it as God's will. But tell me, as one martyr to another…what would you do to save humanity? To rescue it from its sins? You desire revenge on your father, and while I don't deny that James Potter deserves some retribution for what he did to you…what truly divides you from him? I believe Friedrich Nietzsche said that those who fight monsters must take care not to become them._"

Harry was about to lose his temper, until a hand from Tamamo on his own stilled his tongue. Then, Jackie caught his attention with her golden eyes, peering into his own. Out loud, she said, coldly, in a tone strangely adult for her child voice, "Big brother is not a monster. We know monsters. We've seen them, lived with them, and become them. So, tell me, Bad Ruler, why did you hurt my big brother?"

"…_My apologies. But I should remind Harry that he should look in the mirror himself. Or one day, he might not like what he sees when he looks in it. He may not be able to stand it. I say this not out of psychological warfare, you must understand. I truly do fear for your soul. Even if you do not follow my faith, I fear for it. I do not ask for you to forgive either myself or your father. Rather, I ask that you find a way to give your soul peace, should you prevail._"

Harry was struck by the sincerity in the man's tone. Despite being their enemy, despite having tricked the other Masters of Red, Shirou's tone seemed genuine. With a sudden clarity, Harry realised that there was something about Shirou that set him apart from Dumbledore. Shirou, while he intended to win, knew there was a possibility that he could lose. There was, perversely, actual compassion buried beneath all that tripe. Dumbledore lacked that true compassion, whereas Shirou, while he did evil for the Greater Good, seemed to regret the necessity.

"…I intend to prevail. And even if my soul doesn't find peace, I'm not going to give up living life. People need to find their own salvation, or at least bear the weight of their own sins, to acknowledge them, to understand them. I have the love and understanding of my mother, the allegiance of friends and allies…and my own strength. I may not be perfect, hell, I've got a lot of anger and hatred in me…but I won't back down."

"…_I see. Your resolve is admirable. Still, I have said enough, I believe. The Servants I have sent to you should be arriving soon. I wish you the best in your endeavours. Farewell_."

As the ex-Ruler hung up, Kairi and Lily suddenly stiffened. "They must be here. Something's tripped our wards," Lily said.

They hurried out of the tent and then out of the crypt, to find a pair of familiar figures. The stern, beautiful features of Atalanta, and the cocky, handsome visage of Achilles. "Sup?" Achilles asked. "The priest told us to report to this location. Nice to see you again, Saber, Caster. And this must be the former Assassin of Black, right?"

Atalanta, meanwhile, walked over to Jackie, and knelt down in front of her, green eyes meeting gold. "…A child?"

"Not quite," Lily said. "She's a gestalt, a group consciousness. Many children, who died of disease or want or just being killed. I know who you are, Atalanta. You too were abandoned by your parents, and only the intervention of Artemis saved you. My son, Harry, too knows that pain, though I did not abandon him on purpose."

"I see." The feline Archer stood, and her green eyes met Lily's own. "The priest has notified us of the fate of our Masters. While Rider feels differently, I feel that a Master unable to see such a trap coming was not fit to be mine. You'll forgive me for such an attitude, but I grew up in the wilderness. If you made a mistake, you died. As long as my own wish on the Grail is fulfilled, I care not who gives the orders." Her features softened slightly. "That being said…Assassin…you treat her well?"

"I never had a daughter. I failed two sons, but have tried to make up with one…and Assassin, despite her origins and the darkness of her legend…she is like a daughter to me. She may be a Servant, but she was also once human. What she needs more than anything else is a mother. And while I will send her to battle if need be, I won't do it on a whim. Does that satisfy you, Atalanta?"

She nodded. "Yes. I look forward to working with you, Lily Evans, along with your comrades."

"Yeah, same here. Saber here showed herself to be pretty good against her sire. Shame about what happened to her," Achilles said. "So, I'm guessing you know who I am?"

"Achilles," Tamamo said. "Has the priest actually told you the situation?"

"Yeah. Apparently your ex," he looked at Lily when he said this, "has used the Fidelius in a major dick move towards his own team, to say nothing of us. I dunno whether that's genius or stupid, and believe me, I've done both of those things. So, we're gonna have to find a way to get rid of it."

"We have a plan already," Kairi said. "It's a bit of a long shot, but it's frankly the only one we have. We need to find the Archer of Black or his Master."

"We have intelligence that Archer of Black's Master is one Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia," Lily said, not mentioning that their source was Arturia, who had divulged the names of the current Masters. "Using a Patronus is risky, as I have never met her, and even if it did home in on her, Patronus charms are far from covert. If she was near Potter or Charles, they might overhear it, and things would get complicated really quickly. In truth, I think Potter has done this as the first step in a _coup d'etat_. I doubt he will kill everyone, not unless he's more suicidally overconfident than I thought. He probably intends to use the fact that he alone knows where the Greater Grail is as leverage to force a confrontation between the two factions at the very least."

"Great," Achilles sighed in irritation. "We've lost Berserker, Lancer and Assassin are holding down the fort, and even if the other side are down an Assassin and a Saber, they also, according to intelligence, have pretty much an army of Homunculi and golems, on top of five Servants."

"At the very least, I can reduce the numbers of the Homunculi and golems," Atalanta said. "One of my Noble Phantasms, the Phoebus Catastrophe, is an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, and a very effective one. With a pair of arrows as…complaint letters, you might call them, to Apollo and Artemis, they answer with a hail of arrows of light upon our foes. If Yggdmillennia are goaded by Potter into making their move tonight, I can thin out their army. I cannot guarantee that it will kill any Servants, though. Do you know any of them?"

"Archer of Black was not someone from myth, but a hero from the future, so you would not know him. Rider of Black is Astolfo, but he seems to be having a crisis of conscience, and as you probably already know, Lancer is Vlad Tepes," Lily said, remembering what Arturia had told them, and kicking herself for not asking the former king about the other Servants of Black. "We have sources who may be able to tell us more."

Achilles raised an eyebrow. "Well, better get that info, okay? I don't like the thought of running in blind. An honourable battle's all very well, but I'd like to know who I need to kill…"

* * *

It was very cathartic, James Potter thought, to finally deal with someone he had been itching to deal with since joining Yggdmillennia. Celenike Icecolle Yggdmillennia was basically a Magus equivalent of Bellatrix Lestrange, only with much less loyalty to her master. For all that he despised Darnic and his organisation, James could at least recognise the loyalty he inspired in his peons. Celenike was an exception to the rule. She was just in this Grail War for herself.

Which was why he targeted her first.

He snuck down to the dungeon she had set up shop in, and began what he had wanted to do for a very long time by cutting off the hand with her Command Seals on them. Thankfully, she had been half-naked, straddling a Homunculus she had clearly tortured to death. Disgusting woman, he thought, before he confiscated her hand, and then shackled her to her own table, the one she'd spend time molesting Astolfo on. And as much as he despised Astolfo for helping that doll escape, he was just a stupid little crossdressing ditz who didn't understand that heroism required sacrifices for the Greater Good. Sacrifices of those lesser than the great.

"…The thing is, I knew I'd need a backup plan, just in case someone decided to try and torture the secret out of me," James said conversationally to Celenike, who glared at him hatefully with those golden eyes of hers, but was unable to speak due to a gag in her mouth, conjured. He had to admit, she was hot in a scary and twisted kind of way. "So…I took a page out of your book, Celenike, albeit with my own twist. It took some time to smuggle in materials and parts for what is effectively a massive bomb. It's more than enough to destroy, or at least terminally damage, the Greater Grail. I personally think, given all the enhancements I have on it, that it'll be enough to wipe this damnable castle and every Magus inside it off the face of the Earth."

Oh God, her eyes widening in astonishment was _breathtaking_. He wanted Lily's eyes to be just like that before he put an end to her. "Of course, a bomb is no good without a trigger. I learned quite a bit about curses from you, Celenike. There's one on me now. If I die, the bomb explodes. And if I feel a mite too stressed, I can trigger it voluntarily. And here's the thing. I've enchanted my family rings to act as Portkeys to evacuate myself and Charles from this place, automatically. Always assuming I am here when it goes boom. I don't intend to be. I intend to end this dilly-dallying. I intend to have our forces assault the Red Faction, keeping Berserker in reserve, of course. He will be our trump card. But you won't live to see any of that. Goodbye, Celenike. It has not been a pleasure, save for my doing this."

With that, he drove one of her own daggers, a cursed and poisoned one, into her abdomen, and watched her die. How fitting for this bitch to be hoist on her own petard, he thought as she convulsed and spasmed. But as he removed her gag, he heard her hiss, unable to speak properly, four words.

"_See…you…in Hell_…"

With an angered snarl, he tore the knife from her abdomen and drove it into her eye socket. "…I won't be going to Hell. I am James Potter. I am justice. And those who oppose justice are evil."

With that, he left the dungeon, leaving Celenike dead, in the same place where she left her other victims. Now, to prepare for the others…

**CHAPTER 16 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, the Red Faction have a possible plan to stop James, Harry is beginning to truly realise his own inner darkness, and Celenike is dead. No great loss. Next chapter will, amongst other things, have Harry, Moedred, and, via phone, Kay speak to each other. Plus, more Tamamo. I've been neglecting her lately. Don't want to neglect the foxy waifu.**

**Now, a lot of you in reviews for the previous chapter were going on about how James was being too cocky. Hence his backup plan. He's not suicidal, though I think, if need be, he will top himself out of spite against his foes, albeit as a major last resort. A number of you were also saying that the Fidelius doesn't work like that in canon. This is a fanfic, and according to the Harry Potter wiki, if the Secret Keeper dies, the secret remains a secret forever. I modified that for this fic to have it decay, but over a variable period, potentially centuries, obviously undesirable.**

**Would Rule Breaker dissolve that without triggering the bomb? Yes. The curse effectively needs to be activated, either consciously by James (which also triggers the bomb) or by his death. It's not like a signal is sent from him continuously and, if it stops, kablooey.**

**On another note, I'm going to spend another couple of chapters having Harry begin to confront his inner darkness. Shirou's words were basically a wakeup call for Harry, in a way. Shirou, for all his many, many actions for the Greater Good, is nonetheless a decent person. While too much like a bashable Dumbledore, he also feels that, if he fails, then that was God's way of saying 'yeah, you're overreaching yourself, bucko', and he is, genuinely, afraid for Harry's soul. And unlike James Potter, while Shirou is filled with conviction that his way is the right way, he will also accept the possibility of failure. Shirou also genuinely wants to help humanity, whereas James, for all his talk, only wants to help himself.**

**The problem with Harry is that, after everything he's gone through, he's become a bit too fixated on revenge, and not what comes after. Not enough to become Ahab-level of obsessed, but he's in danger of becoming too much like his father. This wasn't too conscious a decision of mine, but I am going to have him pare it back a little, albeit with help from family and friends.**

**Now, I've written the next chapter, but I'm keeping it aside for a later update. I'm currently working on a couple of new chapters for some of my fics that haven't been updated for ages. In addition, if anyone wants to read a Potterverse/****_Fate/Apocrypha_**** fic that doesn't have the WBWL angle, I have published a story called ****_Bridegroom of Frankenstein_****. No prizes for guessing who Harry is paired with in that one.**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	18. Chapter 17: Introspection

**CHAPTER 17:**

**INTROSPECTION**

"…Tamamo, am I a bad person?"

Harry and his Servant (and self-proclaimed wife) were in the magical tent once more, with the others currently nutting out a plan. Lily was calling Arturia to find out who the other Servants of Black were. The _kitsune_ was giving him another lap pillow, having discerned his anxiety and turmoil.

"…That's a very interesting question, Husband," Tamamo said, her tone as gentle as her fingers brushing through his hair. "People like to simplify things, view them in terms of good or evil. And while good and evil exist, it's not so much black and white as it is a spectrum of morality. I don't think you are a bad person. I just think you have too strong a grudge at times. The fake priest was wrong in many regards…but I agree that you come too close to the precipice at times. I know how harmful a grudge can be from experience. When I was killed, my grudge persisted as the Killing Stone. Many view me as a villain, for that, as well as being a _kitsune_ who seduced the Emperor. And yet, you wouldn't call me evil."

"No. You're a bit clingy and selfish, but you're a good person, Tamamo."

"Heavens me, damning me with faint praise there, aren't you?" Tamamo said with a wry chuckle. "Oh, it's fine," she added on seeing the mortified look on his face. "I admit I'm like that. And we're surrounded by those many would call evil. Kairi Sisigou, a necromancer, and yet, while rough around the edges and a pragmatic mercenary, he's a good man trying to atone for his mistakes. Mordred, reviled as an infamous traitor, and yet, she's a girl starved of love from her parents, one who used her like a weapon, and the other who denied her a throne she thought was her own. And Jack the Ripper, murderer of prostitutes in Victorian London, was just a little girl seeking love and warmth in the only way she knew how. I saw your life through the Dream Cycle, how you learned you were a hero, the Boy Who Lived, not knowing that it was part of a farce scripted by Dumbledore and James Potter. That revelation could have made you into a villain as bad or worse than Voldemort or Dumbledore. You're not a pure hero, but that makes you more interesting, just like these."

Her fingers ghosted over his burn scars. He couldn't help but shiver, not in apprehension or revulsion, but a small pleasure, as she did so. "…It's still not helping," he admitted reluctantly.

"Well, let's remind you of who you are, Husband. You are Harry Evans. You have family and friends who can keep you from going down too dark a path. Jackie looks up to you like a little sister, and Mordred will kick your rear if you go too far. Lily is your mother, and wants what is best for you. And then there's me, your foxy wife. I don't want you to be all gloomy and stuff. That's a major buzzkill for a prosperous marriage. I want you to be happy with me. I want to make you happy."

"…That's going to be a bit of an uphill battle," Harry remarked with a sardonic smile on his face.

"Frankly, if we were properly alone, I'd do something that would put a much nicer smile on your face, and mine. But I doubt we'd get that done, and Jackie is a young, impressionable child after all."

As if on cue, someone did walk through. Namely, Mordred, holding Lily's phone. "Hey. Listen, Tamamo, give us some privacy, okay? The Homunculi Club is in session. You can go back to making out later."

Tamamo bristled a little, but she saw the pensive look on Mordred's face. "Fine," she huffed.

As the fox-woman exited the tent, Mordred said, "So, your mum's finished talking to Father, but Kay came on the phone. He wanted to talk to us about something."

"What about?" he asked as Mordred placed the phone on a table.

"_I wanted to ask something of you two_," came the voice of what had to be Kay. Harry realised that there was something in the voice that reminded him of Neville. At least before he broke off their friendship. Not quite the nervousness, but certainly the pensive nature. "_The pair of you are Homunculi, like me. But…you've lived more of life than I have. I only truly woke up mere days ago. So…I need advice._"

"…That's probably a bad idea, especially where I'm concerned," Harry said. "Kay, until I was fifteen, I thought I was human. So to be told I was a Homunculus, and a decoy for that matter, well…I was used. So was Mordred, used as a weapon by her mother against her sire, your new Master. We've both got…issues about that."

"_It was something about that that I wanted to ask about_," Kay said. "_What should I do with my life?_"

After a moment, Mordred scoffed, almost laughing. "Seriously? You say you wanna talk to me and Harry about something, and yet, you pull this? Jeez, you really are fresh out of a tank, aren't you? Hey, look, I'm not trying to mock you. It's just…asking someone else what to do with your life is a bit stupid. It's your life, and unlike the rest of those Homunculi made by Yggdmillennia, you've got a choice in how to live it. Haven't you asked Father or Ruler about it?"

"_I have, and Miss Evans too. I…I just wanted to know what you two think._"

"Kay…neither of us can tell you how to live your life," Harry said. "I'm not surprised you're finding it hard to find that purpose. I was like that myself when I learned the truth. And like Mordred, I went down a dark path, wanting revenge. But…if you're going to follow an example, why not Jeanne? You know, Ruler? I don't mean the whole God-bothering bit, but…she's a good person, from what I've heard. Anyway…whatever you do…well, Shirou, the other Ruler, he said something that stuck with me. Whatever you do, make sure you can look at yourself in the mirror afterwards, that you can live with yourself. You've only just discovered humanity, so this is all new to you."

"…_What about the other Homunculi? How do you view them?_"

"…Well, it's probably hypocritical of me, but those who oppose us, I don't really see as human. They're closer to robots, with no real free will, not like the three of us. But…if I have to kill them, I do so quickly, and only if they intend to kill me. That being said…I heard about the others, the ones being kept in tanks as batteries, like you were, Kay. I promise you, I will try to save them if I can. Won't we, Mordred?"

"Sure," Mordred agreed. "And Kay…I hate Father. But hate is not all I feel. I used to feel admiration and love. Hell, I still do. Ask Father what you should do with your life. The only thing I can say is live it. Try to enjoy it. And try to help others. You can't save everyone, but maybe you can save someone. Hell, you already did, saving Father. You're now Father's Master. Sorry, I ain't any good with this philosophical shit."

"Me too. Kay…you're going to see a lot of things that will shake your faith in humanity, especially during this Grail War. But by meeting heroes from the past and from myth, you'll also see some of the best humanity has to offer. King Arthur, Jeanne d'Arc, Astolfo…they're good people. They're what you should aspire to," Harry said.

"_I see_," Kay said quietly. Harry hoped so. He didn't want to be responsible for Kay going down a dark path.

"Hey, once this is over, and assuming we survive…maybe you could join the family," Harry said.

A noise of surprise echoed down the line. Then, Kay said, "…_Thanks._"

There was a brief bit of noise, and then the tones of Arturia came down the line. "_Kay handed the phone over to me. He didn't have it on speakerphone on his end. He needed to speak to someone about this. I know not whether you have given him the answers he seeks…but thank you, both of you._"

"Father…" Mordred began. "What are we going to do?"

"_I have spoken to Lily. While I am loath to reveal my survival so soon after my defection, I am considering going to fight. It is up to Kay, as he is my Master now, but you need an advantage. I fought Heracles, the Berserker of Black, during the previous Grail War. He is not one to be trifled with, Mordred. He is capable of resurrecting himself after a lethal attack, and multiple times. What is more, he is controlled by James Potter. He is also ridiculously agile and fast for a Berserker, capable of even countering attacks with ease. Mordred…do NOT underestimate him. If you have to fight him, use everything you can to put him down quickly. Your priority has to be seeking out either Archer of Black, aka EMIYA, or else his Master, Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia, and persuading them to have EMIYA use Rule Breaker on James Potter._"

"Easier said than done," Harry said. "We still have no way of knowing what tricks Potter has up his sleeve, and we don't know for sure that Rule Breaker can dissolve the Fidelius."

"…_Then if it doesn't…I'd sooner see the Greater Grail hidden forever_," Arturia said. "_Too much suffering and misery has been caused over that damnable thing. Twice now, I've seen people murder each other and bring the innocent into it, because they coveted the Holy Grail and the wish contained therein. Even if this Grail is not tainted by Angra Mainyu, it is already tainted by the blood of those who fought for it._"

"Father!" Mordred snapped. "For fuck's sake, don't give up on it! Frankly, while I intend to win it myself, I'd rather you get it than any of Yggdmillennia, to say nothing of the priest! You are King Arthur Pendragon! You fought to defend Britain! Where the actual **_fuck_** is your valour, your strength, your will, huh?! What I _admired_ about you?! If I have to beat the secret out of James Potter, I bloody well will, and I will make sure he tells everyone he can, because I want it to be a fair fucking fight!"

"…Since when did you ever care about it being a fair fight?" Harry asked.

"Look…I think that in battle, anything goes. If you're fighting for your life, then you wanna do anything you can to keep it, right? But…if someone hides away the prize you're fighting for, out of spite, because they want it to themselves…sorry, I ain't too good with this. I just have my own sense of honour, you know?"

"_Mordred_…" Arturia said. "_I understand. But tell me…what do you wish for?_"

"…Truth be told, I dunno anymore," Mordred said quietly. "I used to want to take up Caliburn and take your place, to show myself worthy, to give you some relief from that fucking burden you put yourself under thanks to that effeminate cambion troll…but…you're here, and we're not fighting anymore and…I just want to get to know you better, Father. Because I've gotten to know you far better in the past little while than I ever did both under you at Camelot, and fighting against you."

"_I see. Maybe that is for the best, getting to know each other better. However, we have a battle to ready ourselves for_…"

* * *

As Lily helped clean one of Kairi's guns outside the crypt, Atalanta watched on. Tamamo and Achilles were playing with Jackie, while Kairi worked on his equipment. "To think a Magus uses such weapons," she remarked.

"It's not a bad thing, at least from a tactical standpoint," Lily said. "Most Magi and wizards believe their magecraft to be more than up to the task of dealing with mundane weaponry. However, sometimes, mundane weaponry can be devastating. Kiritsugu Emiya, for example, is a Magus infamous for using mundane weaponry, especially for assassinating rogue Magi. Hence his moniker of the Magus Killer. Of course, bullets do sod-all against a Servant. Even on a weaker one, you'd need an anti-tank rifle to even scratch them. Well, unless the gun was a Mystic Code of extreme potency, or else a Noble Phantasm. By the way, Atalanta, do you mind if I ask a question?"

"I may or may not answer it, depending," the feline huntress said.

"What is your wish for the Grail?"

The huntress frowned, before she said, "I desire a world where every child is loved, unconditionally. You are aware of my life, are you not?"

"Yes. You were abandoned by your misogynistic bastard of a father, who, incidentally, was also the one who tried to pimp you out later in life, and led to that whole mess with the footrace, Hippomenes, and the golden apples. Anyway, Artemis found you, and had you suckled by a she-bear until you were found by a group of hunters. Atalanta…how would the Grail grant your wish?"

"…I don't follow."

"The Grail is highly dependent on the user understanding how the wish would be carried out, save for where it intersects with True Magic, like time travel, reviving the dead, and so on," Lily said. "So…how would it force every child to be loved? I'm not mocking your wish, Atalanta, but I'm pointing out the flaw." As the cat-eared huntress bristled, her hackles rising, Lily held up a hand. "Look, I'll show you." With a flare of blue light, an elongated instrument appeared, like an ice-pick. "I generally don't use magecraft, but Projection does help when demonstrating something."

"What is this?" Atalanta said, picking the instrument off Lily's hand gingerly and peering at it. "A weapon?"

"Well, one could say that its effect is detrimental to the human body. That is an orbitoclast. Some decades ago, it was a popular little surgical instrument used for leucotomies, or, as people know them best, lobotomies. Basically, carving out the parts of our brain to make one more peaceful…but also without drive," Lily said, dispersing the surgical instrument with a gesture. "I'm not saying alleviating the suffering of children is a futile task. Every parent should try to look after their children. But…should you use the Grail to do this, what part of humanity, what potentially vital part, would be lobotomised? Did the priest tell you what he intended?"

"…He spoke to us earlier. His wish, he claims, will ensure my own."

"And if he did cause humanity to be saved, by, say, ensuring we would only be happy…what then? What would we strive for? How would we advance beyond supposed perfection?" Lily asked. "It'd be a paradise…for castrated sheep(1). Do you know what I think you should wish for, Atalanta? You should be reborn in this world, work hard for one of those organisations that deal with children. UNICEF, Children in Need, and so on. They could use someone like you, dedicated to their cause."

"You disdain my wish?"

"I'm pointing out the flaws in it, Atalanta. You have a good soul to want such a thing, in the end. I just think you need to know exactly how you're going to bring it about. In any case…even if a parent loved their child…would it follow that the child loved them back, unconditionally? Before you say that's ridiculous…my biological son, Charlie…he despises me, because I treated Harry, his clone, as a human being. I wasn't there for either of my sons growing up, unable to stop Potter from dripping poison into his ears. I was forced to choose between the sons I loved, an impossible choice for any mother, so they made it for me. Potter took Charlie here to Romania…and I was left with Harry. I should be looking after both my boys, making sure they're loved and safe. Now, given Potter's manipulations…there's a possibility that I may have to commit filicide. Because Charlie may never listen, and when, not if, but when I kill James Potter, or Harry does…he will take it badly, and may try to kill us in revenge."

Something shocked flashed in Atalanta's eyes, and she walked forward, placing a hand on her shoulder gently. "…I am truly sorry that it has come to this, Lily Evans, that you are forced into such a position. If it does come to that, and your son does try to kill you to avenge his father, allow me to keep your hands clean by putting an end to him myself if I can. I shall do so quickly and painlessly, I promise you that much. A mother should not have to kill their own child, even in self-defence. If you know of my myth, then you will know that Meleager, a dear friend of mine, was killed by his own mother. I pray you are not forced to do in self-defence what she did in anger."

"I hope it won't come to that. I want to be a family again…with Harry, Charlie…and Jackie…"

**CHAPTER 17 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Well…there you go. More Harry and Tamamo fluff, the Homunculus Club convenes, and Lily and Atalanta debate about the latter's wish, as well as the problems with Lily's children. Next chapter, James Potter has Yggdmillennia begin their assault…**

**Oh, before I go, there's some news. In the last chapter, I mentioned one new crossover called ****_Bridegroom of Frankenstein_****, with a Harry/Eve pairing, but I've also posted another crossover between the Potterverse and ****_Fate/Apocrypha_****. This one isn't a WBWL cliché storm like this story, and it's not quite as rushed as ****_Bridegroom of Frankenstein_****, though considering the pairing needs more work, it's just as well. It's a Harry/Atalanta story which was originally posted in the Cauldron and Zelretch's Collection of Alternates as ****_Most Dangerous Game_****, but, after some thought, I changed the title to the more apt ****_My Beautiful Huntress_****. Go check it out.**

**Review-answering time! ****Dragon Man 180****: Don't worry, our beloved trap has two options for Masters: Caules and Charles. Caules is going to be his new Master, as the next chapter will show…**

**Loamy Coffee****: Yes, you are, and you should be ashamed of yourself. Though you'd have a point about his persona in the 'Fate' route (seriously, he comes off as a bit chauvinistic in the anime), the other routes have him less annoying. However, Shirou Kotomine is still a fascinating and interesting character.**

**Ultimate-Zelda Fan****: Not really. It's a pretty generic saying for last words. Still, that bit with the Joker breaking his own neck afterwards…that is nightmarish AND awesome…especially the narration by Batman afterwards. "****_Whatever's in him _****_rustles_****_ as it leaves_****".**

**1\. This is how Douglas described Claudia's visions of Paradise in ****_Silent Hill 3_****. I thought it apt to describe Shirou's own vision.**


	19. Chapter 18: The Final Fragments of Peace

**CHAPTER 18:**

**THE FINAL FRAGMENTS OF PEACE**

Caules didn't know what to expect that evening, but getting all but assaulted by Astolfo was not amongst them. The ditzy Rider Servant had been a bit of a pain with that Homunculus he helped escape, to say nothing of Saber being killed by Archer, but still…Caules actually liked him. True, the crossdressing thing weirded him out a little, but Astolfo seemed like a decent guy.

But while doing research into their opponents, Astolfo burst into his room, looking rather uncharacteristically anxious, even mildly panicked. And then, the crossdressing Paladin told him what had happened to his Master. About what James Potter did to her.

"Why didn't you go and save her?" Caules asked, though he suspected he knew the answer.

"…Look, she didn't have her Command Seals. I felt the link being severed, so I went to her little dungeon and overheard what happened. I wasn't going to kill Potter and risk us all getting blown to Kingdom Come!" Astolfo snapped. "…Besides…would you save her?"

"…Only because she'd probably curse me if she survived and I didn't help," Caules admitted. "But why come to me?"

"Look, there's only two Magi here I can make a contract with: you and the Potter kid. And I don't think he likes me very much because I helped Kay escape. But…if we make this contract, I'll be relying on your mana, not the Homunculi you've got in that chamber. Please."

Caules looked at Astolfo, before nodding reluctantly. "Okay, got it." He then held out his hand to the pink-haired Rider, and intoned, "_Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer my summoning! I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world, that I shall defeat all evil in the world!_"

"Servant Rider accepts your contract!" Astolfo declared, before he sighed in relief. "Thanks, Caules. You're a good guy, you know that? I could feel myself fading away. Listen…we're in very big trouble. I think Potter intends to pit the entirety of the Black Faction's forces against the Red Faction. He's probably hoping that the two factions will wipe each other out so he can claim victory."

"And if he doesn't get his way, he blows up the Greater Grail," Caules said. "Rider…warn Archer. Get him to get ready to evacuate us away from the Yggdmillennia citadel if need be. The Greater Grail is not worth it."

"Even if it means defying Darnic?"

"…The Greater Grail isn't worth this. It's one thing to fight against the Magus Association on principle, but another to be messed around with by a traitor to us."

"If only it were that simple." The familiar weary tones of EMIYA came through, before he Deastralized. "My Master is currently helping her fiancée purge himself of the potions he has been influenced by. I witnessed James Potter confessing his use of such things to control his son, so I told Fiore, who has doped Charles' drink with a purgative agent. But I think things are about to get very complicated. You're probably right, Astolfo. I think James Potter intends to have us wipe each other out, and he'll pick off the survivors. Caules, I think you and your sister need to have a talk…"

* * *

Her ears were so soft, Harry reflected as he gently stroked Tamamo's ears. In a reversal of what they usually did, she was lying her head in his lap…well, across his thighs, to avoid his increasing arousal, hidden by his pants, but no doubt something she'd feel if her head was actually in her lap. She all but purred, or at least whatever foxes did, her tail wagging slowly.

It felt nice doing this, but also weird. Not because he was stroking the ears of a _kitsune_, one who also happened to be an infamous figure in Japanese legend. No…it was weird because he knew that the coming hours could potentially mean the end of his life.

It was strange. It was only now that he realised he treated his own life recklessly. It wasn't like he feared death per se, more that he didn't treat his own life with much value. He didn't know whether that was due to the programming put into his mind as a Homunculus (he was, after all, a disposable decoy to James Potter in the end, and recklessness didn't hurt), or whether his time at the Dursleys gave him some sort of mild but ever-present suicidal ideation from a young age…or whether it was just his being a sheer reckless youth.

But for the first time, he was struck by…well, he had felt a fear of death before. It was just that now, he actually felt it in earnest. Perhaps it was because, by now, he had gained so much. Not just his mother, though admittedly, his recklessness in joining this Grail War was born out of resentment for what he saw as coddling from her. He now had Tamamo and Jackie as part of the family, and he also had Remus. And Sirius, assuming he was still alive.

Maybe it wasn't mere thanatophobia. Maybe it was knowing that, even if he survived this battle, he could potentially lose some or even all of that. While his mother had done his best to alleviate the pain, his anger and hatred had little recourse but to focus on a future confrontation with the man whom he had thought a father. Because much of his life had been shattered when he learned how much of it was a lie. Revenge was perhaps the only thing that kept him from succumbing to despair. Because he wanted James Potter to know his pain, to know that, despite being a Homunculus, a copy of Charles, his pain was very real, along with the rest of his life.

And yet…perversely, it wasn't the words of a friend or a family member that had driven it home that he needed to think beyond that. It was an enemy, worse than James Potter or Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia. Shirou Amakusa Tokisada, a Ruler Servant hellbent on gaining the Greater Grail, no matter what…and yet, despite the fact that he was their worst enemy, there was something about him that struck Harry.

Dumbledore had claimed he did things for the Greater Good, even as the curse from Voldemort's Horcrux consumed him. In truth, he did things because he believed himself to be the sole steward of Magical Britain. He truly only cared about himself and his own ambitions. But Shirou…Harry had the feeling that, despite his manipulations and evil deeds, he genuinely wanted to help others, that he was driven in his goal because he truly thought he would make the world a better place, not solely for himself, but for others.

Oh, Harry was going to stop the bastard. Salvation was something that you had to strive for, with no shortcuts. Water could not wash away sins in a baptism. Saying sorry once could not scrub every bit of malfeasance from you. And a wish-granting cup could not grant a true salvation for humanity, just enforce one man's idea of it. But for now, he was an ally of necessity, given what James Potter had done. With any luck, they'd have a small period of grace before Shirou turned Atalanta and Achilles on them.

"This is one of many things I love about you, Husband," Tamamo murmured, her eyes hooded with pleasure. "You try to reciprocate. Still…you're nervous."

"Wouldn't you be?"

"I suppose this is the part where I should act all confident and fearless for my Husband…but you have this knack for drawing out my meagre reserves of honesty," Tamamo said. "…Of course I'm nervous. Not for myself. I endure, not just on the Throne of Heroes, but as part of divine Amaterasu. But…I must admit, you wormed your way into my heart. You and Mother-in-Law and Jackie…as a fragment of Amaterasu, I am technically an entity that embraces and embodies eternity as a concept. But…I became aware of ephemeral pleasures in my life as Tamamo-no-Mae. My bonds with you…I do not wish to lose them."

"…I feel the same way. It probably took this Grail War for me to really appreciate them, especially with Mum. I haven't really treated her as well as I should."

"Not quite as bad as you believe, but yes, you could have been better, Husband," Tamamo said. "But…from what I have seen of your memories through the Dream Cycle…that is the key difference between yourself and James Potter. You recognise your faults and try to better yourself, whereas Potter sees himself as faultless. You know that you struggle with your morality, but Potter sees his morality as absolute, no matter what. You doubt yourself, but Potter doesn't. When you argued with Mother-in-Law after summoning me…when you claimed you were wrong about her loving you…I knew you didn't mean it. You were just trying to get the last word in, weren't you?"

"Maybe. I was so angry…but at the wrong person. The problem is, Tamamo…I've been angry for such a long time…because my life turned out to be a _lie_, camouflage for the _real_ Boy Who Lived. All my acts of heroism…they meant nothing to many of those I saved. I was just a decoy. A fake saviour. A copy."

"…Is there any rule that says a copy can't surpass the original?"

* * *

In Yggdmillennia's castle, and all across the various worlds, EMIYA and his younger counterpart all sneezed simultaneously, often at inconvenient times…

* * *

"…Is that meant to be an insult or not?" Harry asked.

"Not at all. We Servants are but copies of the originals from the Throne of Heroes…well, cases like Arturia aside. And yet…you wouldn't know it. I feel like I am myself. Perhaps even with the Greater Grail granting me a physical body…well, maybe I would become the real Tamamo-no-Mae. Anyway, my point is…you are your own person. You are Harry Evans. And do you want me to tell you a secret?"

"…Like what?"

She sat up, and then looked at him, smiling. "You exist on the Throne of Heroes. Your parents do to a lesser degree, given their fight against Voldemort, and their characters in other timelines, but you stand head and shoulders above them. There are so many variations of you. Most are ones where you weren't a Homunculus decoy, sometimes your parents lived, and they cared for you, sometimes, you fell into greater darkness or more often ascended to greater heights. Sometimes, you're even a girl. You can be a Caster, an Assassin, an Avenger, a Saber, a Rider…you are just one of many variations. And I think you are one of so many Harry Potters worthy to be a hero, even if you despise the name Potter."

This struck him. That he was on the Throne of Heroes, in some form or another…no, in many forms. It was…hard to comprehend. That someone like him, and from a relatively modern age, was on the Throne of Heroes.

He stared at Tamamo, his vision getting blurry, before he lunged, embracing her, weeping gently into her shoulder. "…Thank you, Tamamo," Harry said, his voice thick with emotion. "…Of everything you've given me so far, that is probably the greatest gift of them all. Knowing I can be better, that I can be a hero, even if I'm not, here and now."

"Husband…Harry…you _are_ a hero. If someone like me, or Mordred, or Jack the Ripper can make it to the Throne…why not you? You are better than us, your faults aside. Hell, you accept us, not because we are monsters, but because you can see something in us aside from our dark histories."

"Well said," came a solemn voice from the entrance of the tent. They whirled to find Atalanta standing there, looking contrite. "Forgive my intrusion and eavesdropping, but we will be moving out ere long, and I volunteered to fetch you. Your mother spoke of you and the events that led to your family becoming fractured. I know what it is like to be discarded by a father until he had use for me. Only thanks to the grace of Lady Artemis did I survive my infancy. Know, then, that you have my sympathies. Should James Potter make the mistake of appearing on the battlefield, I will hobble rather than kill him, and bring him to you and your mother."

"Good luck with that," Harry muttered. "I don't think he'd let anyone take him alive…"

* * *

James Potter smirked as Roche's lifeless eyes stared up at him from the floor from where he laid. A quick application of the Imperius had Roche force Avicebron to kill himself via Command Seals. A Killing Curse had taken care of Roche.

James had eliminated Avicebron for a number of reasons. The most pragmatic was his Noble Phantasm. From what he had heard, Golem Keter Melkuth would transform the land under which the golem trod into 'Eden', an earthly paradise that was nonetheless inimical and alien to humanity. James Potter had no need of such a place, and it would probably be a detriment to his plans. Avicebron had already created plenty of golems for Yggdmillennia, enough to be the army needed to take the fight to the Red Faction.

Of course, there was the fact that Avicebron had blocked him at every turn when it came to dealing with his treacherous former friend. That was more important, even if less pragmatic.

Connecting a digital audio player to the PA system, he then Apparated to the Grail's chamber, confident that, because the Fidelius concealed where it was, it had become a nice little bolthole, for now. With smirk, he listened to his announcement that he had recorded in advance, pulling out a scrying crystal to keep an eye on events.

"_Everyone in the castle, please attend carefully. This announcement is of considerable importance to you all(__1)__. As you may be aware, you have forgotten where the Greater Grail resides. This, then, is my doing. I have placed the Greater Grail under the Fidelius Charm. I am the Secret Keeper, the sole person who knows where the Greater Grail resides now. It cannot be forced out of me. I have to divulge the secret voluntarily. Now, I am sure you would want to try to force it out of me, which is why I have some insurance. I have a curse linking me to a series of explosive spells set all around the Grail, which, when detonated, will turn the Greater Grail and much of this castle into a smoking crater. If I die, they detonate instantly. I can trigger this explosion voluntarily. This trigger is also linked to a pair of Portkeys that I and Charles are wearing. If the charm goes off, we are instantly and automatically evacuated. If any of you try to remove Charles' Portkey, I will know, and detonate the spells._"

James began to chuckle, imagining their impotent anger and rage. Then, he began to mouth the rest of the speech. "_You see, I have become disaffected with this waiting around, circling each other to see who so much as sneezes first. So, if you want to have any chance of seeing the Greater Grail again…well, you'd better get started. Because if I don't see an_ en masse _mobilisation of Yggdmillennia within the hour…__**kaboom**__. The only way you will see the Greater Grail again is if I have Lily Evans and the Homunculus decoy delivered to me. Dead or alive, either way is fine. And if there's too much delay in getting them or any treachery…pop goes the Grail. I'm watching, and waiting._"

James chuckled louder. To himself, he said, "…Charles and I vanquished Voldemort. We are the heroes of Magical Britain. We are justice. A bunch of fourth-rate Magi led by a Nazi collaborator who eats infant souls to stay alive? I hope you die trying. All of you…"

**CHAPTER 18 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Oh dear. James has made his next move, twirling a moustache he doesn't really have, while Harry gets some final bit of fluff with Tamamo before the final battle arrives. And Caules gets his chance to shine! Anyway, the next chapter will have the beginning of the clash between the Red Faction and Yggdmillennia, while Arturia, Sieg and Jeanne will be making their own moves…**

**On a related note, I recently purchased ****_Fate/Extella Link_**** for the Switch. It's already proving to be a much more enjoyable game than its predecessor.**

**Review-answering time! ****MWkillkenny****: Never, or at least not for now. But it was your review that inspired me to have Tamamo inspire Harry to do better by revealing her knowledge of his iterations on the Throne of Heroes.**

**Raidentensho****: Yes. The curse is dependent on an active link. If it's severed by Rule Breaker, it won't activate the explosive spells, as it (thankfully, due to an overconfident James Potter) doesn't have a fail-deadly. It needs to be triggered either by James' death, or actively triggered by him. Of course, given that James is turtling, EMIYA is going to have a hard time finding him…though something WILL draw James out of hiding…**

**1\. I based a little of James' idea for the recording, and the opening part of his speech, with a blackmail recording the Master recorded against the universe in the ****_Doctor Who_**** story ****_Logopolis_****. Basically, the Master was demanding the submission of the universe, or else let it be destroyed by a wave of entropy he (albeit inadvertently) unleashed.**


	20. Chapter 19: Trojan Gambit

**CHAPTER 19:**

**TROJAN GAMBIT**

The surviving Masters and Servants of Yggdmillennia congregated in the throne room, the tension so thick, you could cut it with a knife. Darnic and Vlad looked furious, having spent a while trying to figure out what was going on, realising too late that it was James Potter who concealed the Greater Grail's location using the Fidelius. Caules and Fiore looked nervous and angry, with Astolfo looking skittish, and EMIYA looking rather calm and collected, though his eyes betrayed his anxiety.

And Charles? He was staring into the distance in sheer shock. For all that he knew his father wanted to win against Darnic, he never thought he'd do this. And his father's guarantee of safety included only him, not Fiore or Caules. For all his problems, Charles loved Fiore, and enjoyed Caules' company as a friend.

Also, his thoughts were clearer, far more clearer than they had been for a while. He still hated Harry, and resented his mother for abandoning him for the decoy, but the odium there had been significantly blunted. He wanted to beat the crap out of them, show he was superior, and if they died…well, he wasn't going to be too upset. But he didn't want to murder them outright. And there was also Sirius to consider. Imprisoned in that tank, potentially being used as the reactor core for Avicebron's Noble Phantasm…as much as he wanted to make Sirius pay, this seemed too much.

One of the Homunculi, a female called Toole, entered the throne room. "I have confirmed the deaths of Mistress Celenike and Master Roche, Lord Darnic," the taciturn Homunculus said. "Mistress Celenike was tortured before she died, as per Rider's testimony. Master Roche has no mark on him, and magical diagnosis suggests that he had the Imperius and the Killing Curse used on him."

"Damn him!" Darnic snarled quietly, his usual control over his emotions slipping. "That bastard has been planning this for a long time. We can't even use his son as leverage, assuming he isn't bluffing."

Charles gaped in horror. "Leverage? But…"

"Silence!" Darnic snapped. "Your father is a traitor to Yggdmillennia, in spite of all the resources we shared with him! In spite of the marriage we arranged with Fiore! And this is how your pater familias repays us? Begone with you, and do not come back into this chamber without leave."

"But I…"

"BEGONE!" Darnic roared, the single word echoing around the room.

Charles flinched, before giving Darnic a glare of contempt. "…Go to hell." And with that rather unwise parting shot, he left. Toole was dismissed as well.

Eventually, after spending some time calming himself down, Darnic said, "Archer…how long can you maintain your Reality Marble for?"

"Several minutes."

"Good. Manifest it in this chamber."

EMIYA, after a moment, nodded, and began intoning his aria.

"_I am the bone of my sword,_

_Steel is my body, and fire is my blood._

_I have created over a thousand blades,_

_Unknown to death, _

_Nor known to life._

_Have withstood pain to create many weapons,_

_Yet these hands will never hold anything._

_So, as I pray, UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS!_"

The shockwave of blue fire filled the chamber, and soon, they were in a devastated landscape, littered with weapons sticking out of the ground. Massive gears turned in the cloudy, twilit sky. "That should at least give us some privacy to hash out a plan," Darnic said, briefly looking around the Reality Marble in awe. After all, what Magus wouldn't give an arm and a leg to witness a Reality Marble, let alone study one? However, there were greater priorities.

"We can _plan_ against Potter?" Caules asked incredulously. "If he's used the Fidelius, then, even if we can stop him from destroying the Greater Grail…"

"I have been considering that. And it seems our Archer may potentially have a solution." Darnic looked over at EMIYA. "EMIYA, do you have a Noble Phantasm in your collection with the power to sever or nullify magical contracts or links?"

EMIYA's eyes widened briefly, before he nodded. "I have one." He Projected Rule Breaker. "Rule Breaker, the Noble Phantasm of Medea of Colchis. If we're lucky, this will be what we need. It may be able to nullify both the Fidelius and the links his curse has to the explosives. Assuming he hasn't made a failsafe. I considered this as soon as I heard the announcement, but we have a problem."

"Yes, how to winkle him out of hiding," Darnic said. "As much as it pains me to say this, we will have to play along for now and capture Lily Evans and Harry Evans. In addition, with Heracles as his Servant, he might be able to fend off any attack on him, though I think Astolfo's Trap of Argalia, by removing his limbs from existence. However, we might be able to lure him to a place of our choosing with the Evans. When you do this, I want you to use Unlimited Blade Works to envelop us within this Reality Marble as an added precaution, just in case removing the curse causes the explosion. As much as I do not want to sacrifice the Greater Grail to stop him, he has defied me for the last time."

Vlad nodded. "The destruction of the Greater Grail must be an absolutely last resort, but I do agree that denying it from staying in Potter's possession is a priority if all else fails. If we successfully remove the Fidelius and his curse…then we will hand him over to the Evans as a sign of good faith. As much as I want to impale him for his impudence, I believe they probably have some more fitting ends for him to suffer."

"And what of Charlie?" Fiore asked.

"Your report about the potions, as well as his surprise and shock and dismay speak in his favour, but he is no longer a Master, and his loyalties are still in question," Darnic said sternly. "He may not be our enemy, but he is a liability more than he is a useful ally. We will mobilise the troops now, and see if we can unleash Spartacus on the enemy. Hopefully, Avicebron did his job before Potter had Roche kill him. But…there _will_ be a reckoning. He will rue the day he thought he could betray us…"

* * *

"…Are you truly resolved to do this, Kay?"

Kay nodded, readying his sword as Arturia asked her question. "Yes. I…I need to save them, Arturia. While your intervention, as well as that of EMIYA, Astolfo and Jeanne granted me freedom…the other Homunculi aren't free. I know that I'm not as strong as a Servant, and I will probably need you to help me, but…"

"Your mind is made up. Your resolution is admirable." Arturia came over, and put a hand on his shoulder. "You remind me much of EMIYA's past self, Shirou, my Master prior to this Grail War. Like you, he had Avalon within him. I only learned about it later. It was how he summoned me, because his father, my first Master, used it to save his life. I despised Kiritsugu Emiya and how he treated me…and yet, when I learned of what he did when disaster befell our battlefield…he must have changed. Or perhaps he became the man he had camouflaged behind a mask of ice and frost. Know then, that I will be your sword and your shield. However, should we free the Homunculi from their plight…how will we get them away from Yggdmillennia?"

"…I'll have to figure something out. Do you think Astolfo and EMIYA will help us?"

"Maybe, unless their Masters take umbrage."

As they left the farmhouse, Jeanne, who was waiting outside, looked at them with her amethyst eyes. "You intend to do this?"

Kay nodded. "…I may not be fighting for the Greater Grail, but I need to help the other Homunculi. I know I can't ask you for help, given your need to remain neutral, but…"

Jeanne smiled, albeit sadly. "I understand. Arturia…I charge you with his safety. While as a Ruler, I need to remain objective, as Jeanne d'Arc, I want him to stay alive. Truth be told…I knew you would return to the battlefield, Kay. A revelation made that clear. I just did not want you to experience the horrors of war. But…I can't stop you from wanting to save the other Homunculi. However, be careful. Thanks to James Potter's actions, Yggdmillennia will doubtlessly be desperate. In addition, once they realise Arturia is alive and your Servant…well, they may react badly, James Potter most of all. And as he has Heracles as a Servant…"

Arturia grimaced. "I know how powerful he is first-hand."

"Still…James Potter's attempt to circumvent the rules of the Grail War cannot go unanswered. I will go and call him out. And with my Command Seals, I can rob him of his own Servant…I hope. Berserkers, after all, are notoriously difficult to control. Still, the Fidelius can't be his only means of controlling access to the Greater Grail. He must have something up his sleeve." Jeanne looked at Arturia and Kay. "…I will accompany you both, actually. The moment he spots you, he may intend to attack at least you, Arturia, for your defection. As for Kay…given his history with Harry, he may attack him out of misplaced spite."

"…I don't care. If I can save my fellow Homunculi, I'll go into this danger," Kay declared.

* * *

Lily peered through a set of Omnioculars at the Yggdmillennia stronghold. "…A lot of activity going on. They're definitely mobilising Homunculi and golems."

"Definitely gearin' up for war," Kairi noted with a grimace, using a pair of his own. "Still, we have a few Servants with Anti-Army Noble Phantasms. The main problem is the Servants they will field."

Lily nodded. "Thanks to our sources, they still have Archer, Lancer, Caster, Rider, and Berserker. Lancer's the one I'm worried about most, at least in terms of sheer power. Given that he massacred a group of our Enforcers, I'm right to be worried, especially as he's fighting on his home turf. But if Berserker is Heracles…well, while his strength is bad enough, it's his Master I'm more worried about."

"Don't forget Archer and his Reality Marble," Tamamo pointed out. "And if he can Project Noble Phantasms…"

"…We'll burn that bridge when we come to it," Achilles remarked. "So, how're we gonna do this?"

Lily frowned, lowering the binoculars. "…James will be keeping away from the main action. He's reckless and brash, but not stupid. He wants the deaths of the other Servants to fuel the Grail so he can make his own wish. But…if there's one thing he wants almost as badly as the Grail, if not more so, it'd be Harry and I. I'll bet that's how he persuaded Yggdmillennia to mobilise, amongst other things."

"So, give him what he wants," Achilles said with a shrug. On the sharp looks of those present, he held up his hands. "Hey, I ain't saying give up. But…well, surely you guys know your stories, right? I'm best known for my participation in the Trojan War. Now, pop quiz, really easy question based on what is disappointingly the most famous part of the war: how did we win?"

"…The Trojan Horse," Lily realised.

"Yeah. I wasn't alive to see it happen, but the Grail filled me in," Achilles said. "Now, Yggdmillennia would be pissed at this happening as well, so they'd probably play along. Your Assassin there can use her presence concealment to hide away. Dunno about Caster. I'll just say that the Red Faction iced your Servants to get you to cooperate."

"It's a dangerous gambit, Achilles," Atalanta said, the cat-eared huntress crossing her arms. "Yggdmillennia may play along, but James Potter, as we have seen, is dangerously unpredictable. And Heracles is a monster. I sailed with him on the Argo, and I'm sure Chiron and your father Peleus regaled you with tales of his exploits."

"If we can get Archer of Black to use Rule Breaker on either Heracles or James Potter, preferably the latter, then we're good," Lily said. "We'll have to find a way to inveigle him into using it…assuming he hasn't figured it out already. And if that doesn't work…well, I don't know what else to do but just kill him, and hope he doesn't have any other tricks up his sleeve."

"…He probably does," Kairi said. "Like you said, he's brash and reckless, not stupid. Do you reckon he would have found some way to boobytrap the Greater Grail?"

"Who knows?" Lily asked. "Here's hoping Rule Breaker can handle the unmanageable surprises, and we can handle the rest."

It was going to be a pretty big gambit. All on ifs and maybes. But it seemed that they had little choice in the matter. They needed to if they were going to have any remote chance of winning the Great Holy Grail War. Or at least prevent James Potter from gaining absolute power…

**CHAPTER 19 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Well, that just happened. Here I was, gearing up for a big battle scene…when I had that Trojan Horse gambit thing come to mind. And while James will be a little suspicious about the convenience here…well, people say that one should beware of Greeks bearing gifts. In truth, they should take Lister's viewpoint about the Trojan War in the ****_Red Dwarf_**** episode ****_The Inquisitor_****: "Beware of Trojans, they're complete smegheads". And will Yggdmillennia allow this? Well, they will. Unfortunately, a complicating factor is about to arrive, in the form of Kay, Jeanne and Arturia…can anyone say 'clusterfucks ahoy'?**

**I'm honestly not sure when the next chapter will be out. But I hope you enjoyed this one. Plus, I've been enjoying playing ****_Fate/Extella Link_****, where we have a number of these characters as playable Servants, including Astolfo.**

**Review-answering time! ****rmarcano321****: Aside from the obvious (Heroes from myth and history being pitted against each other in a death battle? Hello? That is ****_made_**** of awesome), there is the moral ambiguity and the examination of what makes a hero.**

**T-B-R****: That's the entrée. Maria the Ripper will be the dessert.**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


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